Our Footsteps in the Snow
by FunkyKiwi
Summary: Ibiki Morino does not know what to think of Oda -"the red-haired newcomer" as she was first called in the office. She has been sent to him only to help with the paperwork, so why does his instinct tell him that something is off ?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Dim Changes

Ibiki Morino got to his office around noon that day, and at the sight of his overwhelmed desk, he began to analyze just how much paperwork he would have to deal with this time. The pile of application forms from potential newcomers to the service should be his first priority, along with the sheets of directions for the examination coming up, but there were so many; the pile threatened to topple over the stack of reports he had neatly arranged on the side of his desk. During that period of uncertain times and political tensions, they were crucial documents, but he had absolutely no patience to take care of those rags all over again.

Paperwork was definitely not for him, but it came with his responsibility in the Interrogation Department, and he certainly couldn't pass it on to his minions. He stole a glance in the direction of the people working for him; indeed, they were now looking deliberately occupied so as to not get stuck with filing the mess in their boss' workplace. He thought of them as honorable people to work with, but had also painfully discovered that they had developed over time an undeniable air indifference when he barked orders (which normally would make people recoil in fear) along with the ability to find loopholes and excuses in order to avoid any additional work.

Still, familiarity had set in between he and his subordinates for some time now and it was not a disagreeable work environment, although he did suspect a romantic relationship between Tanaka Midori and Morimoto Youji, and was not sure that that would be something he would allow.

He straightened his colossal frame, as if it would impress the pile of damned scrolls, or rather his coworkers, so that they would take care of it for him, but alas, it remained there, as if taunting him. So, instead of ordering someone else to do the paperwork, Ibiki sat down at his desk and started to work.

Before long Anko barged in, banging the door behind her against the wall and making the hinges creak in despair, loud and intruding, as usual.

"What do you think of that?" she shouted excitedly, dropping a light yellow folder in front of him, successfully making the pile of forms tumble all around his desk. Silently sighing, Ibiki went to open it, but before he could read any of the content, she spoke again.

"They're adding personnel to every government department of the Fire Country, so that there is 'better communication between our services and the hierarchy'," she said in her patented mocking tone, raising her hands to mimic quotation marks.

"I hope this won't be like the last time they tried to modify the system, when they divided the department in order to be more efficient. The whole administration was a mess and the hierarchy between offices hardly works now," Ibiki replied, his deep voice reverberating through the office, making the others look up with curiosity, wondering what his conversation was about.

Anko, nodding approvingly, added that with the new system, they had also been moving people from one office to another.

"But the good news is that you shouldn't have to look at these applications forms now," she said, gesturing to what now littered the floor.

"All I hope is that you will not be transferred here. You're already a handful to manage for the chuunin exam; I don't need to hear you shouting from morning to night."

Closing his eyes, he knew his joke would annoy her. He had long ago given up on intimidating her, but at least he now knew that teasing her made her lower the volume of her voice. And he was right; instead of arguing, she just shrugged her shoulders, grinning.

"Better having me, than a stranger, wouldn't you agree? You should brace yourselves," she directed to the whole of the office, "Your new helper is arriving tomorrow morning, at nine o'clock."

And with that, she stepped onto a ledge and disappeared out one of the windows.

* * *

"Oda Fujie?" a young genin asked a red-haired woman reading a book on a bench in Konoha's park.

"Oh, come on, this is my day off," she moaned, letting her head drop, "Don't you people ever get your information right?"

She opened one eye to see what kind of person she was dealing with. "Go tell your boss that. Only if it's urgent can you come back."

Seeing him hesitate, she thought for a moment that what had she said was enough to send him back to where he came from.

"T-the orders come from above," he stuttered, "I was told to give you this," he added, trying to sound firm.

He handed her a crimson scroll displaying a blue seal, saluted her respectfully and disappeared in a puff of smoke. She muttered under her breath something about him failing the upcoming exam, before she broke the seal and saw the contents of the scroll. She paused. Reading the message again, she let it fall onto her lap.

"Is this a joke? This will be twice the amount of work I normally do!"

Fujie got up and started her way back to the new apartment she had acquired a few days earlier - a reward for her 'good services', as the Hokage had written in the letter that had held the apartment's keys.

While she liked that this one was bigger than her old one (which was the main reason why she accepted the apartment) she didn't quite feel at home yet : the hot water still wouldn't turn on and the neighbor upstairs had little kids running back and forth on the hardwood floor all day. She lived on the fourth floor though, giving her a perfect view of the park next to her building, and as soon as she had completely settled in, she had decided to get at some point a personal window garden.

She smiled in content at that thought, climbing the stairs with some effort and arriving on her doorstep slightly out of breath. She took out her parrot keychain, which held a dozen keys, some her grandfather's, but mostly her own; there were so many that it was difficult for her to find the one she needed, every time. Finally, the door was opened, and Fujie stepped into her new home.

The place was still a bit odd to her, after having lived first in a studio near the outskirts of Konoha, and then moving in for a couple of years with her grandfather. She took care of putting away all of her winter equipment in her coat closet, before going to the kitchen to fix some lunch, not bothered by the fact that it was actually three in the afternoon. While doing so, she thought about meeting the neighbors on her floor. She knew she wouldn't have to worry much longer about the lady upstairs and her children, because when she had gone up one flight of stairs to complain, she had seen a few moving boxes. A loud 'thump' from above punctuated her thought.

Letting her thoughts stray, she wondered about the next day, what kind of people she would meet, how well they would get along, precisely what kind of work she would be doing...she snapped back to reality when the doorbell rang.

"Hello? My name is Koyama Sado; I live down the hall. I'm out of tea and I have guests… Do you mind if I borrowed some of yours?"

Fujie opened the door to reveal a tall dark-haired man smiling apologetically, wringing his hands. She grinned back, inviting him in so that she could give him some spare green tea she had.

"It's in the cupboard, up there. I can't quite reach it…" she laughed, blushing at the difference between their heights.

"You're welcome to join us you know. It's just a small get together with some of my friends, Miss…?"

"Oda Fujie. But please, call me Fujie, we are neighbors now."

"Yes, I couldn't help but notice all the boxes. Did you move in not recently?"

"I arrived on Monday," she answered, seeing him reach for the top shelf effortlessly, "I would love to come, but as you can see, it's a mess here, and I start work tomorrow, so I have to unpack while I still have some free time…" she trailed off, glancing at the piles of boxes set in every corner.

"You start work on a Thursday? Odd, but we'll see each other another time then," he said charmingly, his grey eyes smiling.

"With pleasure, Sado-san." she replied, accompanying him back to the doorway and giving him a small wave.

She closed the door and slumped against it. Then, she tried to motivate herself, rolling up her sleeves and turning some music on her phonograph. She began cleaning surfaces, opening boxes, putting her belongings away. By the end of the day, when she dropped onto her bed, a futon mattress set on the floor, she fell asleep immediately, still in her dusty clothes.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Sunrise

The sun came up the next day in the cold blue sky of December, shining through the first clouds of the morning and directly onto Fujie's face. She opened her eyes with difficulty, completely blinded. In an attempt at getting up she threw the quilt off, only to tangle herself even more in her bed sheets, successfully rolling off her mattress while trying to get rid of them and banging her forehead against her night table. She finally got up rubbing the sore bump that had newly appeared and directed herself towards the bathroom on her staggering feet.

Teeth chattering, she had the unpleasant surprise of discovering that the people in charge still hadn't taken care of the hot water in her apartment, and that meant she had to wash her long hair with icy water. She flipped her head upside down in an attempt to shake off some of the water in her red hair, but in doing so she banged her head against the sink. She contented herself with styling her curls, and, holding her enormous fluffy towel tightly around herself, she made her way back to room with the little dignity she had left.

Suddenly, a thought flashed through her mind. 'Sunrise is only around eight in winter. What time… Oh no. I'm going to be late.' She had to rush through her wardrobe to pick clothes that would be convenient for a first day at work, throwing pieces of clothing on her bed in the process. 'And how about this?' She wondered, holding up a red sweater. 'I can't match it with my hair! Why is this even in my stuff?' She panicked a few times because feeling she had nothing suitable, but finally calmed herself down with some black pants and green turtle-neck.

'I hate red and green together. It's like I'm the Christmas spirit walking around.' She thought to herself irritably, grabbing her colorful purse and keys.

It was a very cold month of December that year. At least a couple of feet of snow had fallen a few nights ago and bone-chilling winds rushed through the streets of the village in such manner that it made her opt for a woolly coat, a hat to cover her still humid hair and a matching navy blue scarf. She preferred being too hot rather than too cold -after all, her family had moved up from the South, even if that was twenty years ago and her body should have been adapted to the current weather by now.

Finally leaving for work, she hurried down the stairs. Because of her carelessness, she tripped over her feet and crashed with force onto the floor in a mass of knitted fabric.

'What's is wrong with me? It's just a first day at work !' She huffed, reprimanding herself. 'This is not a sign, today will be just fine.' she tried to convince herself, finally setting foot outside and pulling unconsciously her coat closer to her.

Her grandpa had teased her incessantly about her heliolatry, but she wondered if she didn't enjoy the snow on equal grounds, in spite of her sensitivity to the cold. It was rare for it to snow in Konoha, especially during the beginning of December, but she felt it was going to snow again, if not in the next few days, the week after. That thought brought up her mood on her way to the Information facility, separated from the sector of interrogation for safety measures.

Suddenly, she felt very nervous : she thought of what she had heard on Ibiki Morino from her coworkers, Head of Interrogation, a sadistic man with a terrible past. Although that last fact had her intrigued, she was horrified by some of the stories. She tried to push those thoughts aside, gathered her strength to enter the large building, stretching over a couple blocks towards the village's hospital. Inside, she oriented herself towards the security desk. Ibiki's main office? Top floor, she was told.

"Hold the door !" A man with spiky blue hair yelled, arms full of dossiers and running towards her. She put her hand out and prevented the doors from closing. He made small talk about being on the sixth floor, the Encryption Room, and being the dogsbody of everyone because it was his first year here. He said a few words on Ibiki, describing him as unpleasant and spiteful man**, **but quickly tried to make up for his mistake after seeing Fujie's face turn to worry, saying that it was only with the people he disliked. She didn't change the look on her face, so he ventured the fact that even if it was so, it wouldn't last more than a couple of months.

The elevator stopped on the twelfth floor, letting her in a five square foot corridor leading to a huge set of double doors. Timidly she took one step, then another, and finally she knocked twice on the door, ignoring the burn in her stomach. Fujie didn't forget to check a mental image of herself to verify if she was presentable and wouldn't miss the chance to make a good first impression. The result : she was able to push some of her hair over the fresh lump and bruise on her forehead and brush off her coat for any dust. She waited a couple seconds but preferred to enter before she was told in an attempt at asserting herself in some way. "Hello ? I'm Oda. Oda Fujie, I was just transferred here." She said, taking another step inside the enormous office. Her gaze swept the office: a couple people were whispering loudly near the coffee machine in the far left, not noticing her presence or not caring, while two of the five workers at their desks looked up briefly from their work to check on the intruder. The whole office stretched onto her left, bordered with large double windows and big desks set in front of them. There were at least eight of them. Finally against the right wall, she saw the largest desk, what appeared to be the head of the office, set as to see the whole workplace just by lifting one's head, and there she saw Ibiki Morino.

Or rather, Ibiki Morino's back, for the tall man was carefully looking at a map of the Fire country on the wall behind his desk. The window to his left was half-opened, blowing lightly his long coat.

"Sit." he ordered without taking his eyes off the map.

As she did, standing the way he was, she realized he must have been at least a foot and a half taller than she, and his broad shoulders made him all the more impressive. She recognized him immediately from the different descriptions she had heard.

"Oda Fujie ?" he said, asking the same question as the young genin the previous day, before she could open her mouth to also inquire his name.

"That's correct."

She had answered a bit too loudly, probably because she was trying too hard to cover up her anxiety by showing enthusiasm. She immediately corrected her tone.

"I only received the notice yesterday, I wish I had gotten it a little more in advance... Are you Morino Ibiki ?" she asked, putting up her best smile.

And while the rest of the workers gazed at her, she wondered if her voice had been shaky.

"I also received the news yesterday, it was untimely delivered for the both of us." he stated flatly, successfully destroying the attempt she made to build a friendly interaction.

"Your desk is this one." he spoke again, pointing to the first one next to his. "I need you to file, and rewrite the notes that are unclear, and order everything chronologically." he added, waving to a messy stack propped up to the side of his desk, set on the floor.

Fujie sighed inwardly, trying to keep looking as motivated as she could. She picked the pile up with difficulty, setting them on her new desk. She thought that in two hours, she would be able to get some coffee and a chat with the people she will from now on refer to as coworkers, and started her work with that in mind. Every now and then, she would steal a glance in Ibiki's direction, very curious about his character, equally afraid of him and his looks, but nonetheless remained concentrated on her task.

She discovered that he had written most of the letter responses that came in the folders, and that he had a large, slanted, scruffy looking handwriting that was difficult to read, the kind of handwriting used when knowing no one will read what is being written. After a little while, she got up and stepped in front of his desk.

"Morino-san, is it okay if I have a coffee break ?"

She wasn't used to asking that kind of requests, nor did she know if she was supposed to ask.

"You can have one without asking." he replied, not even bothering looking up from the report he was currently writing and that she would surely have to copy later on. "As soon as you finish with the letters to return for the applicants, go to the third floor so that they can send them out."

Ibiki watched as she made her way to the coffee machine. She would be a little helpful in the paperwork area, he thought, more useful and quicker than a typewriter, but hardly saw her beginning shyly a conversation with Izumo, who he thought was the friendlier looking in the office, and he happily chatted away with her, pointing to the different people in the office. For the next five or ten minutes, he looked as he was filling her on whatever gossip was going on, pointing to the different persons, and then Kotetsu joined his friend in talking with the little redhead that had arrived earlier. Her cheeks were a bit pink, but she had a big smile on and was gladly building the conversation.

"He looks a little bit rough... Is he always like this, or do I have a special treatment because I'm new to the department ? " she inquired, looking sideways to check any sign of Ibiki listening to her questions. She decided not to let Izumo answer and spoke up again. "What is his story, anyway?"

"He was caught by the enemy during the war. He...underwent some tough interrogations and..." He lowered his voice even more. "That left him with some... Scars."

Ibiki's ear twitched and he gave his men his coldest glare, one that sent shivers up Fujie's spine. She swallowed hard and made her way back to her desk to finish quickly, and left for the Mail Room.

Kotetsu and Izumo, neither affected by Ibiki's dirty look, kept chatting after she closed the doors. They were wondering how long it would take for her to just give up because of the hard time their scary boss would give her, after all, they knew it would take some time for their superior before he got to tolerate her. The others kept alert on what they were saying, even Ibiki.

"I heard she's been transferred because she couldn't her previous job right. It's like a demotion, she's basically a human typewriter now."

"Well, I heard it's because she did her job a little too well that the Hokage wanted to move to a less busy area."

"What did she do, anyway?"

Kotetsu shrugged, raising his eyebrows, "She was some kind of paperbug, but other than that, I have no details."

Ibiki's voice boomed again in the office.

"Alright, you two, back to work. Slackers"

The last word was uttered under his breath because he didn't need the paperwork for this day to get any slower. He guessed that that red-haired 'Oda' would speed up in the next few days or else they would never get anything done and be clear to go on missions. He directed towards the two underlings, eying them with dark eyes.

"Enough with the gossip break already;" he paused for a second "and other kind of special breaks" he added to Midori and Youji, who were pretending they didn't know what he meant.

She looked over to her boyfriend, winking with the eye Ibiki couldn't see from where he was. Unfortunately, nothing escaped him.

"You do know, Tanaka, that I can see your reflection in the window behind you."

He gave out a small chuckle at her surprised look and got back to filing reports, all the while thinking of the new girl at work. She didn't seem very confident, and surely wouldn't cause him any problems, but with his recent struggle with discipline in his own lines, he thought it was reasonable to intimidate her a bit so that she would stay calm.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 : You'll Get Coal for Christmas

"Why don't you participate to the village's festivities? That would be the perfect opportunity to get your mind off that first start at work."

Chieki, a tall woman with white hair and golden eyes, proposed to her red haired friend; the both were sitting in a booth in a cozy tea shop. Fujie was spread over the table, her eyes glazing over as she stared at her steaming cup instead of sipping it. Her mind was nowhere near the upcoming festival, but closer to what happened at work today. Not only did her boss seem to despise her even though she was helping him out, she also had a difficult time talking with her colleagues, delivered the wrong folders to the wrong floor, and finally nearly choked to death on her lunch break, which she took on the roof because she wasn't sure where else to go to stay out of everybody's way.

"I already am, you know that already, I told you a few days ago. I'm in charge of the food section next to the fountain, in the village's square. And besides that, there will be a cake selling starting at three to earn funds for some field trip for the brats at school."

Fujie replied unenthusiastically, head now resting in her hand and swirling around the beverage she had ordered. After the exhausting day she had spent, she really was not up neither for a talk on the multiple preparations she would have to deal with for the festival nor for getting into the details of her first day at work.

"Now that doesn't sound like you, you usually love those kind of sales. Did something bad happen to you at work, Fuu ? I'm sorry I didn't ask you that right away. And how about the people working with you, did they treat you well ?"

Chieki was a kind and optimistic person. Fujie, if in her regular state of being, would have been in tune with her, but today was just not the day for her, from sunrise to sundown.

"Not so hot. I don't really want to talk about it, but if you want to know the essential, my boss is an oppressing man. He despises me, too, I can really feel it in the way he looks at me, I only hope it's not going to last forever," said Fujie, flicking away a strand of hair out of her face, "Please, let's change the subject; how's the hospital going?"

The discussion went on, the two of them exchanging on the relations on-going between the personnel of Konoha's hospital. However, since Chieki was perfectly aware that her best friend needed to let whatever had been ruining her day out she went back to their first subject and Fujie had no other solution but to spill the beans on everything that occurred that day.

"It's a curse, I'm telling you."

She concluded, looking out the window with hooded eyes and all motivation drained. However her friend did not want to let things the way they were so she pulled her up, paid for the bill and dragged her outside. The chilly air made their cheeks rosy instantly, they were now standing in Konoha's main square after all, where the winds from all directions met.

'This should have been called the wind country here' Fujie thought, also aggravated by the attempt Chieki made to do something useful of their time, and mainly, to give her more energy.

"We are going to do something you enjoy most ! Let's get to my place, I have everything we need." she exclaimed enthusiastically, "And you might even get a look at Kairi, he's been my roommate for some time now, after all. Even though he's a little gloomy, most of the time he is a very nice person."

Fujie had a feeling it was definitely not a good idea for her to meet a person with a dark aura since her spirits were not very high right now, but she figured changing places and taking her mind off things could be a perfect plan.

When they arrived at said apartment, situated near the shopping center and on the first floor, Fujie immediately thought she wouldn't be able to live there. She would feel uneasy, and most surely there would be a lot of noise at all times, especially on market day, which in this village was every other day. Nonetheless, the place was still cozy for two people. They each had their own bedroom, the living room was roomy, and the kitchen had enough space for three people to maneuver without bothering each other.

"Hello, Kairi, I'm home with a guest !"

Chieki called loud enough for the boy to hear her wherever he was. Shuffling his feet on the carpet, he emerged from his room, dark circles under his surprisingly light-colored eyes and his hair all messed-up.

"He's actually our age," Chieki whispered, seeing Fujie's cocked eyebrow and waving off her previous thought. "He does look young, right ? And he's very kind too." She spoke up this time for the two people she was with to hear her, "Fuu and I are going to make an enormous chocolate cake, would you care to join us, Kairi ?"

It had been more than six months since the two were living together, so the familiarity between them wasn't shocking. He let his tired eyes settle on Fujie, "Nice to meet you, friend of Chieki," he said in a low voice, not too sure what to do with his loud roommate but to simply hope her best friend would be less traumatizing than she.

The young man was pretty short and looked even smaller next to the height of Chieki. This one strode over to him and patted him gently on his head; she was indeed much taller than he. "I know you love chocolate. It'll be our special treat. Plus, it'll make Fujie over here happy to bake."A glint could be seen in Kairi's red eyes. Chocolate cake was his absolute favorite dessert, and he was immediately thinking of the moment he would savor the sweet taste of the cocoa and sugar mixed in a conveniently moist batter. He liked Chieki despite her loud voice, she was like a considerate older sister to him; he thought himself fortunate to share an apartment with a person like that.

Later on, between sifting the flour and melting the butter, and when the kitchen was filled with the delicious scent of warm chocolate, Fujie and Chieki initiated a conversation about Ibiki.

"I think the first annoying fact about my boss, Morino Ibiki, is that he's a giant. Much like you, Chieki. If he had been a midget, he would not be as intimidating," she paused at the thought of a tiny Ibiki huffing and puffing behind his desk, "And it's really straining being around him. It's as if there's always tension, he just cannot relax. When he calls my name, I hear a bark more than anything else; and when he looks at me, it feels like he can see right through me, know whatever thought is in my head. It's very unsettling, I'm not sure how to deal with it."

"Sounds to me he's more interesting than the usual prats we meet, don't you agree ?" Chieki simply said, smiling her, "You should try to find a way to overlook how he glares at you, and whenever a situation makes you uncomfortable, you should imagine him in a completely different setting. Pretend you're in a comedy show or something."

One started mixing the dry ingredients while the other beat the egg whites. It was almost a mechanical working, as if they had done it a thousand time before, and that it wouldn't be the last. Fujie's lips began stretching into a smile, relaxing her shoulders for the first time that day. There were no spilling of the precious batter, Kairi, sitting at the end of the kitchen table on a stool, made sure of that.

Hands resting on the side of the stool and back slightly hunched, he was quietly listening to what the girls were saying. He did not dare to interject something yet, but he was glad he could be a spectator of the conversation. Fujie poured the melted cocoa onto the sugar and mixed it together with the butter, seeing from the corner of her eye the young man drooling.

"You sure like chocolate, don't you ? Does Chieki often bake for you? I bet she jumps at the chance every time." The woman on the other side of the table smiled, Fujie had been perfectly right.

"You should try seen him outside outside of work, perhaps it would ease the electricity between you two. Isn't there such a thing as a coffee between coworkers ?" Kairi's voice rang out unexpectedly in Fujie's direction. She had just put the batter into the oven and was now cleaning the kitchen, but she stopped at the sound of his soft but clear voice. Turning to him, she shrugged her shoulders and wiped her hands on her apron, "Maybe in a few weeks, but I doubt he would agree to something like that if I ever ask him something like that now."

Pensive, Chieki put a chocolate-covered finger to her chin, "Try first to get along with the people who are on your level, and then work your way up; what kind of coworkers do you have ?" she inquired.

"I didn't tell you yet. I mean, I didn't tell you guys yet," the red-head corrected herself, to include Kairi officially, "I'm not on the level of anyone in the office. They are all trained Jounin, or something... And you know, or now know, that I have absolutely no ninja training. I basically don't have anything in common with anyone there." She collapsed again on the table, sighing deeply, thinking it would definitely be very hard to make friends at her new workplace.

Kairi's face suddenly lit up, "Maybe that's the source of contempt ? It also could be because he does not know how to handle a woman in his office. Do you have any female coworkers ? Or, he doesn't know at all how to run an office, and he senses you could be a source of discord." he offered as an explanation to Ibiki's behavior.

"It seems he has a pretty good grip on his people, but I am the only woman, if today I've sen everyone who works with him," she shrugged again, "maybe it's a bit of those three possibilities. Chieki, I'll try that comedy situation if- I mean when- I get oppressed by him again. And Kairi, there's a Christmas party next week, maybe that's when I'll get the chance to get on his good side."

Fujie was laying face down on her bed that night, thinking ahead what setting she could possibly imagine to turn Ibiki into someone laughable.

'Morino... with an afro. That might be why he wears his bandanna to cover his head,' she giggled and rolled onto her back, staring now at the ceiling,

'Morino as a clown !' She laughed again, but when she tried to picture him smiling, it creeped her out. She had in mind a crooked, sadistic smile, so she quickly pushed that thought aside and put off her game to the next day, when she'll meet with the beast again.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 : After All, Why Not

Fujie was lost in her thoughts. She was sitting at her desk in the deserted office during the lunch hour, mechanically eating her packed meal and doodling on the corner of a blank piece of paper. The temperature had gone lower than any previous day of that winter and had forced her to put on two sweaters in order to keep warmth. Turning her bright blue eyes to the window, she admired the pale gray sky and let out a soft sigh. She felt peaceful at moments like that and her troubles seemed like a faraway memory.

Loud footsteps and voices just outside the bureau forcefully pulled her from her daydream. "Where's that red-haired newcomer ?," she managed to hear a second before the doors swung open, "Is she hiding again on the rooftop ?" Fujie's eyes instantly fled to her lap, avoiding the looks of the two persons a few yards in front of her desk, feeling ashamed that her refuge from the day before had been discovered and was now mocked.

"Isn't that adorable, she drew a little Ibiki, sporting an afro." Midori had snatched the paper out of her grasp in a second and was now displaying it to Youji, throwing her head back in laughter. Fujie did nothing, she just looked at her thinking that she had been wrong telling Kairi she was the only woman in the office. Now she wished she was because Midori's hostile attitude was that of a woman feeling threatened.

"Fujie-san, did you not know that Ibiki has no hair ?" Youji inquired, calmer and more poised that his girlfriend. "Funny he didn't show you his scalp as an intimidatory measure..."

The redhead didn't understand the point he was trying to get, was he trying to make her upset, but in a less obvious way than his lady ? She tried to not let her confusion show and replied that she had seen it at the end of the day. Still, in the back of her mind she was wondering what could be so special about a shorn head. 'Perhaps it's tattooed,' she thought as the other members of the department made their way back to their desks.

Midori let the sketch slide through her fingers and drop to the floor. Unfortunately, it was at that same moment that Ibiki walked in, looking unpleased.

"Oda, I thought I had told you to chronologically order these, not alphabetically. Those are last week's reports, and now I won't be able to deliver them on time to the Hokage. Hurry up and do it now."

He went to set the pile on her workplace, but a crinkling noise beneath his foot made him stop. Horrified, Fujie watched him bend down and pick up the sheet of paper with her doodles. She thought for a split second that he would not even presume it was hers but when she saw the look he gave her, she felt stupid about the anticipation she had made. The paper crumpled in his large palm; he then turned his back to her and threw it carelessly into the bin on the other side of the room. She didn't see the small smile playing across his lips.

Scurrying through the main hall with her arms full, she passed by the man she had met in the elevator. He also seemed in a hurry and carried the same amount of paperwork as she. Suddenly, an idea popped into her mind; in order to fit in more, or in any case, she would have to learn more about the people she was seeing everyday. She made haste to get rid of her task as quickly as possible and diverged towards the Archives on her way up to the office.

The tight-lipped lady at the entrance looked at her over her rectangular spectacles. "And what is it you're looking for here ? I don't recall you being assigned to this floor."

Fujie decided to improvise as the woman standing before her did not seem the kind to authorize anyone to just roam around the precious documents, "Ibiki sent me here, he needs to complete everyone's personal file now that there are newcomers in the department." She paused a moment, then added, "Including his own, he has to be up-to-date for the whole office." She waited for the other's response, which came in the form of a slight nod along with a fifteen-minutes pass. She sighed inwardly at her small victory.

"You're allowed in aisle four, the files are ordered by department. What you are looking for is situated on the third shelf from the right." Turning on her high heels, she walked away with a clicking sound. Fujie waited for it to be far-off to tiptoe into the maze of shelves stretching to the ceiling, full of scruffy and ancient looking folders for the major part. There were vaguely indications on the aisle number, but time had erased most of them so she wandered from one to the other, checking the tabs on the casings she could see. The whole room smelled of old parchment and other unidentified scents. On some shelves, she found cardboard boxes instead of dossiers, but she did not dare to open them, paranoid at the thought that some alarm would go off if she did. She finally managed to get the files Ibiki supposedly required and stacked them neatly on the floor to be able to continue her exploration of the odd place. In the aisle for the research laboratory, she discovered different size and shape bottles containing formalin; she couldn't fathom why they were stocked in the archives room and not a cabinet in said laboratory.

A muffled noise made her hide behind the next corner and from behind record books, she could make out two men talking. She failed to hear what they were saying; the only words she caught were 'restricted' and 'pass'. 'So there is a restricted area...,' she absently chewed on her lower lip, listening more intently however in the end she couldn't distinguish anything more, ' I need to know how to gain the access,but this should be helpful with what I'm looking for. After all, I am starting research from scratch here.' She put one knee to the ground as an extra precaution as to not be noticed, silently thanking the gods for the men not to be ninjas or else they would have already detected her presence.

It was common for the building of Information to have employees without any shinobi training, for instance scientists and administrative workers, such as herself. She judged it a good idea for civilians to work jointly with shinobis, especially at times of rumored war, and she would feel glad to work in that building as soon as her office environment would clear up a bit. As things were, nothing resembled the hospital she used to work in, she had lost all of her landmarks. The inner workings weren't a well polished machinery, the people she could associate to the patients were not asking her help, no one cared enough to wish her a good morning like the doctors and the nurses did.

Her throat tightened at that bitter thought, she didn't feel so well after all; the men retraced their steps and left the room, leaving her the possibility to get to her feet and gather her precious stash of information. As an idea formed in her mind, she carried the papers to the photocopy machine and pressed the bright green button to start it up. Jumping at the loud noise it made, she whispered to the machine to hurry, pricking up her ears to hear the clicking of the woman's heels that would indicate her coming. The rows of shelves and cabinets must have stifled the resonance, therefore, and fortunately for her, she had enough time to repatriate the folders to their original place and set the copied versions in a corner of the bathroom. She then went back to the fourth aisle, waiting for the woman in charge to be back.

On cue, she showed up a few moments later, looking at her suspiciously. "Where are the folders ? I thought Ibiki needed them. Usually when he asks, it must be delivered right away."

Fujie smiled as innocently as possible as she carefully lied, "Actually, he doesn't need them right away. He simply wanted to test me. Don't tell him though, I'll talk to him in five minutes."

The woman, who's name tag indicated 'Masaka K.', took one last look at her up and down to evaluate the veracity of her ramblings. By her look, she believed her lie; with in a huff, she said something about it being typical of him to do something like that and went back to the main desk. Fujie felt a hint of jealousy looking at Masaka's long legs, but shook her head and convinced herself that it was all the heels' doing.

She sent a messenger to deliver the hard-earn package to her apartment and made it back to the top floor by three thirty. "I'm late because the Hokage was in a meeting," she explained to Ibiki before he even asked, and it wasn't a complete lie, "These reports were so important, I didn't want to entrust them to anyone else than her."

"Giving them to her assistant would have sufficed," he snapped, still not looking up to meet her gaze, "and don't lose any more time or else I'll be bringing you into the next interrogation room with me." She managed to remain composed this time, all the while thinking that she would reward herself that evening with a steaming cup of cocoa.

The rest of the afternoon was uneventful, apart from the fact that Ibiki sent her up and down the building numerous times. She executed what was demanded without a complain,and finished copying reports more quickly than the day before, almost pleasing him. When the first lot of her coworkers started to leave, she stayed an hour more in order to have a head-start after the week-end. It was already night out, and she felt uneasy as soon as she realized that she had been left alone with only her architect lamp on. She put her supplies away and labeled her current work by order of urgency, then swiftly left the office.

Outside, she pulled on her coat and buttoned it to the top, and, still cold, secured her scarf over her chin and nose. The air was crisp and she was still able to huff little clouds of vapor when she breathed through the knitted fabric. Coming from the side of the building and in her direction, she heard a laugh. She didn't know the reason why -maybe that new job had made her timorous, but she slid behind a pillar and peeked out from there.

To her surprise, Ibiki was the one laughing. Next to him a woman with dark spiky hair was waving her arms around, obviously telling a joke, and, astonished, she couldn't take her eyes off him. It wasn't a sadistic laugh like she would have imagined, nor did he sport that cruel smile she had pictured the night before. It was a light-heated, soft sound of laughter. For the first time she thought that he might not be that hard shell he exhibits at work. She also smiled, a bit defeated by this sudden appearance of him. 'Well, if tormenting me allows him to keep his credit, I guess I can let him have that, considering this terrible job he has. Outside the working context, he actually seems like a nice person.' And with that she headed home, not even bothering to check it the two had seen her.

The next morning, Saturday, December 17th

Fujie jump-started her heart with two cups of disgustingly strong instant coffee. She usually was an alive and kicking kind of person even before breakfast, but these past couple of days had tired her more than she could have ever predicted and so there she was at ten o'clock in the morning, displaying navy and purple circles under her eyes. Standing in front of her bathroom's mirror, she felt lifeless when trying to conceal them.

At least the good news were that she had been able to turn up the heat that night when it snowed again, as she had predicted, thanks to the heating system of her building that was separate from the hot water heater. Still, she had no warm water, and so she would heat it in the largest pots she had. As soon as she would get out of the water, she would, still wrapped in her bathrobe, stick her feet in front of her tiny fireplace to warm up. If she didn't do something about it rapidly, her whole body would soon be matching her eyes.

The wind was roaring against her windows, and she savored a cup of hot chocolate as if it would calm her spirits as well as the weather. She couldn't remember a winter in Konoha being so cold, and it made her worry that it was an unfavorable sign for the upcoming winter festival that was held by the village. Come to think of it, she definitely didn't want the temperature to drop below zero as she would be selling pastry outside. 'Maybe I can have it arranged that I have a tent,' she thought optimistically.

After toweling her hair dry, she slipped into some comfortable clothes and her bunny slippers. Very sensitive to the cold, she snuggled on the couch with a plaid on her lap in order to read the folders she had collected without unwanted distractions. She didn't even grab one before she was already preoccupied by some other matter.

'I wonder if Sado-san could get a look to see what's wrong with the heater. Or maybe he has the same problem.' She decided on getting up, throwing her goofy-looking footwear into her closet to get into a much prettier pair, and headed down the hall. She fiddled a bit with her unruly hair in a vain attempt to smooth it out before pressing the doorbell. A unknown man answered, wrapped in a bathrobe, his blond hair and tanned skin dripping with water.

"Please excuse me for my attire," he said apologetically, "there is a leak in the kitchen and I got my clothes drenched trying to fix it. May I help you?"

Fujie turned beet red and tried to make coherent words leave her mouth, "I-I, uh... Where S-Sado-san ?," she only managed to sputter. The man leaned in a little, eyes wide, as if to catch her words better.

"Sado ? He's visiting his parents this week-end and I'm trying to fix his kitchen to surprise him. Are you a friend of his ?"

She nervously jabbed her thumb over her shoulder in the general direction of her door, still not looking away from his golden eyes. He looked like a model to her; he was the complete opposite of Sado who had a fair complexion and dark hair. Words were hard for her to articulate, but she managed to ask for his help, along with his name.

"My name's Haruki, Sado's...," he hesitated for a second before finishing his sentence, "I'm Sado's boyfriend; nice to meet you, miss... ?"

"Fu-Fujie. Please call me Fujie, it's n-nice to meet you too." She sounded so stupid she could've slapped herself, but his beauty made her stutter.

"Well Fujie, as you can see from my mishap I'm not a great plumber, I'm afraid I can't be of any help. But perhaps you could ask the person living in the flat across from yours ?"

A vivid memory of the aggressive old lady living across the way popped into her mind, along with her army of hungry cats. She shuddered and decided it would be a waste of energy to ask if she knew anyone for the water-heater problem. The perverted roommates just below her apartment also did not appeal to her. The last time she knocked on their door, they were both bare-chested and made her propositions she wished she had never heard. In conclusion, she decided that she would have to ask first the people living on one level up; she simply hoped she wouldn't have to knock on each and every door of the building before she found someone who would be able to fix her blasted machine.

She first knocked on the door of Sado's, and apparently Haruki's, upstairs neighbor. She waited a bit for any kind of response before moving to the one with the plaque numbered 62, previously inhabited by the noisy and large family she had encountered. Hearing no sound coming from inside, she turned around and started towards the third and last door on that level; she hadn't reached for it yet when she heard a man's voice close behind her.

"Oda ?"


	5. Chapter 5

Dear readers, today (the 2nd if you don't live in my time-line) is my birthday ! And since if hasn't been off to a good start, I felt like writing. I would love to hear more comments from you, because one of the reasons I am here is to improve my writing skills. Please feel free to tell me what you thought of the action and the characters, what you think will happen, what you don't want to occur in this story, what mistakes I can avoid... You pick.

Enjoy the new chapter !

Chapter 5 : You can't ask if I can't say anything

The easily recognizable voice made Fujie jump and turn around at the speed of light ; she was stunned that such a situation would occur. She angrily thought that if 'they' thought it would make things easier for them to be neighbors, it certainly did not.

Before her stood Ibiki with his arms behind his back, still in what appeared was his nightwear, consisting of charcoal sweats and a short-sleeved shirt. A detail caught her eye : even on a Saturday and at that hour, he was nonetheless wearing his shinobi bandanna over his scalp. She was eyeing him quietly not only because she wasn't sure what to say, but also because she was trying to take in all the little details about him. Despite his straight stature, he gave off a more relaxed aura than what he did during the last two days.

It never occurred to her to check the first floor to see if thee was a handyman in this building, or to call her grandpa to ask if ever he knew anything about deficient piping. He had always been able to fix a whole lot around his house all by himself, especially since he couldn't rely on his two children, who moved south of Konoha, and when his wife passed away four years ago, he really was trying his best to keep everything in order and working. Also, he would have been delighted to help her as long as he could leave his house for a bit ; his solitary lifestyle made him sometimes lonely, and to his liking his only grandchild had not paid him enough visits this month.

"You seem troubled. Do you need any help ?" His tone surprised her, she was expecting a snarl to inquire why she would bother him at his home on a Saturday morning. She decided it would be best to match his politeness and so asked timidly if he knew anything about plumbing to fix her hot water problem.

Fujie shifted her weight to her left foot, taking in the new image of her boss. He had let his right arm run along his side to use his left one to rub a sore spot on his muscular arm. She could now clearly see numerous cuts that had scarred over his forearm tattoos, which were almost completely disappearing under them. He had dark circles under his eyes but he still looked sharp despite that.

"I... could take a look at it. Oda, do you have any tools ?"

The first thing that flashed through her mind were torture tools. She was, after all, working it the Interrogation department and she had seen on her first day in a clear wardrobe full of them roll into the office for approbation. However, quite unexpectedly, Ibiki had waved to dismiss it and said that they weren't using tools anymore.

Seeing her shake her head slightly, he disappeared for a second in his apartment before coming out again holding a small wooden toolbox. When the two were in her place, she quickly scanned the floor and the corners to make sure nothing embarrassing was lying around, reflex she usually had when one of the rare dates she had came over. She failed to notice the files she had stacked on her coffee table as a hazardous item, however it caught his eye right away. From where he was standing he couldn't make out the labels, but it definitely got his attention.

The woman with the red mane hadn't caused yet any ruckus in his office for the time being, so he had just decided to play it cool with her in order to clear some things about her. Those folders over there were the first of those things.

It was easy to befriend someone after being horrible to them, especially in an employee-employer relationship, because the tormented worker was surely going to prefer any friendly exchange compared to what they had to bear with before that. The redhead was no different and he had seen her so squeamish that he deemed the last two days she had gone through were enough for her to embrace the friendly working relationship.

He smiled to himself, fitting his large frame under her sink to get a look at the pipes there. He didn't have anything personal against her, he even thought her quite refreshing in the office compared to his cynical subordinates, but his instinct was telling him that something was about her of. Not to mention the fact that they lived in the same building seemed too odd to be just a coincidence.

At first he reprimanded himself, thinking that the Hokage had a tendency to regroup in the same neighborhood or building ninjas. However a little voice, nagging at the back of his mind, pointed out that she was clearly not a shinobi."

Ibiki was having a hard time believing he was actually testing his poor plumbing skills in order to learn more about that woman. "I'll have to take a look at your bathroom. Has this been ever since you've moved in ? Here, hand me the wrench, I'll tighten the pipes in here first," he said peeking from under the sink.

His new copyist had sat down on her round kitchen table and was resting head on her hand, looking down to him. At that moment she reminded him of an old painting of wood spirits he had seen with her ridiculously long scarlet hair cascading onto her shoulders and back. Her blue eyes had glazed over from staring, thus giving them an icy look, but it had disappeared as soon as he had spoken to her. He didn't like those kinds of eyes, they reminded him of past horrid times.

She mindlessly handed out the tool, and in doing so her fingertips grazed the palm of his hand, as scratched up as his arm. A small shiver came across his body so he quickly engulfed the tool in his enormous hand. The quickness of his gesture made her notice another detail; his rounded nails seemed oddly pink against his olive complexion.

He extracted himself from the narrow space he was in to stand up face to her, dusting himself off as she lead him to the bathroom, through her bedroom, forgetting that he would know the way with his apartment being just over hers.

After one more hour of small talk, a couple of spurts of water and a somewhat awkward atmosphere, he finally gave out a victorious smile to her. Fujie hesitated for a moment before offering him a cup of coffee, in the end jumping at the opportunity of speaking to him without their working environment, and especially without their coworkers.

"So," she began, not sure how to start off a conversation with him, remembering how their first interaction went, "thank you for fixing that thing. Last time I tried to fiddle with it by myself and I ended up with a small waterfall in my bathroom sink. Have you had a similar problem when you moved in ? When did you move in ? I mean … I'm asking because I knew the people upstairs, and the fact that they were going to buy a bigger apartment for theirs kids..." She didn't really know what to say, she just let whatever words that came across her mind flow. "Was it yesterday ? Because I had spoken to them just the day before. They were very nice people, noisy though. I'm pretty sure you won't be of any problem, unless you're raising a small child. Are you living alone ?"

He let her talk, his eyes set on her, not realizing that his unsettling gaze made her grow less and less comfortable as she gabbled indiscreet questions.

"I did arrive yesterday," he replied calmly, ignoring her uneasiness to establish more of a pleasant atmosphere, "and I am living by myself. So are you, I'm guessing ?"

It was an odd situation, both of them wanted to probe the other with questions but neither of them knew how to pass it off as a casual situation. Ibiki certainly knew how to handle interrogation, but doing it with people that weren't enemies of the country was something he needed to practice on.

He noticed, as she blabbered on about the fact that she was, just like him, living alone in this apartment for just about a week, that they were sitting at her kitchen table -possessing the odd number of three chairs, and not on her sofa. To him it seemed a confirmation that those files were important and not to be seen by him.

She snapped out of her rant when she realized she had only talked about herself and that she should have directed the conversation more towards him. She rectified her sentence to orient it more on him and the office. "Have you been working a long time in this department ? And have you always been head of the office ? Well, not always I unless you're a vampire and immortal- I mean, were you part of the subalterns before becoming the boss ? Did you work in another department before ?" She was trying to cover her nervousness by the speed of her words, after all, that man did make her go through hell during her first days.

His only answer was that he had been working the field for a while before being named head of that office. He thought being vague would avoid anymore questioning ; she made a mental note that it was odd that he would gain such a responsibility without first working in the area of information.

In the awkward silence that had settled after his reply, she pushed strands of her hair behind her ear to clear her vision and sipped her hot beverage with caution. She had always been a slow drinker; ever since she was a child, it took her but an hour to finish a single cup of tea. She was used to her grandpa serving it to her steaming hot and telling her to drink it right away, joking and saying it was to build character. Thanks to him, she learned to be patient, and that habit about hot drinks stayed as it was.

Ibiki, on the other hand, had already finished half of his and was looking around because sitting the way he did, he could see over her shoulder the corner of the coffee table behind the couch. He counted less than a dozen folders. He was pondering which would be easier and stealthier : create an illusion on her right now, of which she would see the hand seals if she had any training, or pay a nighttime visit when she would be asleep. He opted for the second option, looking at his hands and deciding it would go unnoticed, unlike the first option where he had more risks of being seen.

She saw him open his palm face to him, and shiver just from looking at it. She outstretch her hand to catch his wrist, so slowly he didn't react. Sometimes, being slow is the best way to be unnoticed. Yet, as soon as their skin touched, as a reflex his whole body tensed and pulled back with such force it jerked her up and slightly over the table. She was closer than she had ever been, less than a yard from him, staring at him wide-eyed. The sudden movement made her hair sway and allowed him to catch her scent.

It had been such a long time since he had breathed a woman's perfume. This one was sweet, like a fruit or a summer flower, similar to the one Anko used to wear. At some point he had thought something would happen between the two of them. However, when he had mustered the strength to make the first move, she had said that in his state of mind and hurt, it wouldn't be a good idea and that she could help him more by staying his friend. 'Ah, but how would she know that sort of thing ?' he had thought, but in the end he had no choice but to follow her will. Now, she was to him more of an annoying colleague than an annoying friend.

He stood up, pulling his wrist out of her grasp, "I think I'll leave. Enjoy your week-end." he said in a neutral voice. And with that, he left.

Her heart was pumping hard in her chest; she had only felt his heartbeat for a single second before he extricated himself from her hold, but it had quicken hers automatically, as if to match his.

She didn't know if what he said meant that it would be hell again on Monday or simply to interpret it literally and enjoy her days off. Not quite sure, she jumped over the back of her sofa and landed softly on the cushions, reaching out to pick up her old fashioned telephone to call Chieki. The plant on the telephone stand was dying, so, as she listened to the tone for her friend to pick up, she took off the yellow leaves. Sitting straight and setting them on top of her hard-earned stack of information, she put her feet on the coffee table, and, taking a look at her balcony, she made plans to start a small garden as soon as the weather would allow it.

Neither Chieki nor her roommate answered the phone, so in the end, Fujie began pacing back and forth in her living room, reading the folders gushing with information.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6 : Spice and everything nice

After Ibiki had left the apartment hurriedly, Fujie read half-way through the pile on the living room table. She was now desperate to find some way to occupy her hands and mind. Baking was perfect for that, Chieki always said.

Her friend still wasn't answering her phone so Fujie pushed her worries aside by telling herself that she had a few more patients to tend to before being freed for the week-end. It was after all something that happened quite often. She knew she would call as soon as she would get home.

"Stupid festival." she mumbled to herself a couple of hours later. She was standing in her kitchen, stacking pastries wherever she could. She was building a pyramid of apple fritters on the kitchen table because her counter tops were covered by an army of sugary buns.

Hands now resting on her hips, not knowing what other type of cake to make, Fujie just couldn't make a choice between recipes. She ended up baking four different ones, some of which she had never tried before. She managed a simple chestnut one, a chocolate fondant topped with white icing, an assortment of colorful cupcakes and some gingerbread. She took care of letting them cool before taking them out of their molds, then, wiping her fingers in a useless attempt to get rid of the dough stuck to them, she finally collapsed on the couch.

Her right leg nudged the whole lot of dossiers set on her coffee table in aggravation, making it all fall to the ground. She didn't have the strength to pick it up, so she just craned her neck to see the content of the first, landing open next to the phone stand. The indistinguishable characters made her frown and she narrowed her eyes to clear her vision.

"Oh, no. No, no, no, no.'" She grabbed the taunting cream-colored folder and whispered "I nearly get busted for this and it turns out ENCRYPTED ?"

She slumped back in to the sofa cushions. This meant she would have to inquire to people instead of just snooping around, meaning it might very well attract unwanted attention to her.

She heard the phone ring, picked up the phone to asked Chieki to come right over ; all sounds were as if heard underwater. She sat there for an undetermined period until there was a annoyingly excited knock on her door.

"Fuu ! What's up ? I was held back at work, sorry for the delay." she paused, a bit shocked from the sight before her, " Look at that, you surely weren't idle this morning ! Let's deliver these babies, shall we ?"

Fujie merely grunted in response.

"This is bad, Fuu, you're clearly not yourself these days."

"This morning was catastrophic." She held her hand up to stop Chieki from whatever tirade she was about to begin, "even though I didn't set a foot outside, guess who I discovered living just above me ?"

"They didn't !" the tall woman exclaimed.

"They did. And he fixed my heating system, or that thing that was busted and only allowed cold showers. And then..." She trailed off, reliving what happened hours ago.

"Then ?" her friend pressed on.

"I touched him." Expressionless face from the other woman. "Now before you say anything, I didn't sexually harass him -I know how you think, pervert-. I mean I touched the skin of his arm. It was all... cut up and scarred, I just had to feel it... Like... As if no one ever had contact with it but should have. Am I making any sense ?"

The head shook she observed made her sigh and say to just let it drop. "You have this... need to patch up and fix everyone you meet, but Fuu, trust me, this is out of the boundaries you have set."

She was probably right. On the way to Konoha's main square, they talked of the coded folder. The fifth and sixth pages of the report in Ibiki's file were useless, and they knew no one to turn to for help as both did not care for shinobi friends. The two found them not reliable, and in a friendship, the people involved should be able to let loose their problems but also hear out their friends'. Which wasn't the case for the shinobis of the Fire Country. They had the habit to hang amongst each other, exchanging tales of past missions and victorious battles, having even taken over a few bars and pubs as their outside-of-work headquarters. The civilians also preferred the company of their equals, as shinobis tended to be more violent that the regular drunks.

However, she did share her learning about Ibiki's general background, consisting in six years of ninja training prone to excellency, and the ability to gather enemy information very quickly, whether it came from their body language, lip reading, or simply the acquisition of a parchment of the enemy. He was respected amongst the ninja community; he didn't have any family apart his eighty-years-old uncle living way up North.

She paused in her task of setting the pastries on the table in the little tent as she recalled if there had been any photos or anything relationship-related on his work desk, but nothing came to her mind. She told Chieki that with an amount of surprise she discovered that the administration would put into file if the concerned had a intimate relationship or not. Probably for his or her defense in a case of blackmailing or hostage situation, the other guessed. The smaller woman kept quiet that this section was clear for his part.

Soon, the villagers gathered on the square to watch the representation that was held for both the winter and Christmas celebration. They would file with their children pulling their hands in the direction of Fujie's baked goods and come out with a brown paper bag filled to the top with them.

She had finally a smile on her lips, and was even laughing whenever Chieki would lift the enormous piggy bank she had crafted for the occasion to make the coins in it jingle.

When the flood of customers had settled to a regular pace, she spotted her grandpa waiting for her to notice him in a corner of the tent. She nearly suffocated him when she hugged him.

"You never visit. Is it because you're busy as always ?" He had a toothy grin and was rubbing the top of his bald head. "Last call I received, you were getting ready for some big changes. How is the new job ? My little Fuu isn't overworking, is she ?"

"Never Grandpa," she answered as she dexterously slid a piece of chestnut cake onto a plate she then offered him.

He accepted it with another smile full of wrinkles, "And tell me what kind of people it is you're working with. I hope there are no hypocrites, my, these are the worst ones. I used to have a couple of them at the wood shop in my younger days -Chieki, you are here, too ? Wonderful, wonderful. What was I saying ? Right, right, does your boss make you work overtime and that's why I can't see you ?"

"Grandpa Hiro, I'm not certain Fuu wants to talk about... him." Chieki stopped abruptly her sentence, looking over the old man's shoulder.

Fujie slowly inhaled at the sight of Ibiki coming through the entrance. Her next breath was caught in her throat and she wouldn't had been able to draw another one if her grandfather hadn't shoved her to the side with his cane.

"Who is this boy ? You seem to know him."

She cursed him silently for not having any shame, and politely replied that Morino Ibiki, her new employer, was hardly a boy.

"Nonsense, little red one. You'll see when you're my age, everyone will be similar to mere children." She pursed her lips together and furrowed her eyebrows, trying to looking apologetic to Ibiki. Still, he continued talking, the man was unstoppable. "It's not a couple scars across the face that will earn you some respect, you know my boy ? But, I see my Fuu healthy and smiling, so you must be a good manager ; here, have a piece of chestnut cake. Go on take it."

Fujie was horrified, she hurried to Ibiki's side and voiced a couple of apologies. "Grandpa, you know, just because chestnut is your favorite doesn't mean that it's everybody's. You-" She was interrupted by the weight of Ibiki's hand on her shoulder.

"Thank you, I was just about to buy a slice. Oda, consider it my commission for the plumbing."

Flabbergasted, she saw his mouth twist in a content smirk, turn on his heels and exit the room.

The rest of the afternoon went by in a flash, as if she wasn't part of it. In her mind she was stuck on Ibiki's reaction to her grandfather's rudeness, she still couldn't believe the way he had answered with a smile. Scratch that, it had been an offensively familiar way to grin, nonetheless it kept her lost in her thoughts for what was left of the day.

'He... likes chestnut ?' She didn't know why she couldn't get over that fact. Perhaps because it was an unusual taste, or was it the coincidence that he enjoys a recipe she chose randomly ? That was hardly plausible. 'Maybe it's like the little boy who bully the girl they like on the playground. Would it be so improbable that he likes me ?'

She shook her head. 'Nonsense', as her grandpa would say.

* * *

Fujie nervously took a look around her; her surroundings where unfamiliar to her and she could feel an uncharacteristic dryness in the air. Her eyes couldn't make out the end of the hallway she was currently in. She vaguely felt the ground beneath her but when she reached out to support herself on the wall, she wasn't able to get to it. Taking one cautious step after another she finally got to a square room; the ceiling was of the brightest white but it didn't shed any light on the fours walls it was resting on. Her feet got caught in a metallic object and she tumbled over it. Sharp edges cut her hands and she could feel liquid starting to drip down her fingertips.

Her level of fear rose considerably; she managed to get to her staggering feet. Wide-eyed, she caught a glimpse in the dark of her hands and saw clear liquid flowing from her wounds "Tears …?"

She woke up in a start, gasping for air. Cold sweat was running down her back and had soaked her nightshirt. She reached for the switch of the lamp by her bed.

She screamed when she caught the sight of Ibiki turning his face to her, his features dripping with blood.

Fujie opened her eyes. She was lying in her bed, completely covered by her thick winter quilt. She noticed only after a few seconds that she had been holding her breath. Slowly, as a scared child would do, she crawled out of her bed, making sure the floor she was setting foot on was solid.

Gripping a blanket around her, she made her way to the kitchen, and, as she filled a glass of cold water, she thought of the two dreams she'd just experienced. She hated interlocked dreams, especially nightmares; it was so hard to make out what was real once awake. She had once woken twice in a dream, which explained her earlier behaviour before pulling herself away from the comfort of her bed. She decided tea would be best, so she started the pot on the stove.

At the sound of the metallic noise coming from the kitchen area, Ibiki pressed his back closer to the wall and pulled the bedroom door while doing so. He had read his file, thankful that it was unreadable to his new employee, along with those of his co-workers. Not used to crucial information lying around in open view, he had searched thoroughly the living room and bedroom. He hadn't expected her to wake up and he barely had the time to perform genjutsu, gaining precious seconds to disappear from her sight. Luckily for him, she had believed his illusion.

Fujie settled on her purple couch, pulling closer the blanket closer to her with her legs to her chest and warming her hands with the mug of steaming tea. It was almost an unbearable heat, so she set in down, positioning her head on the arm-rest and staring at the snow falling outside. She felt ashamed that even at her age she could still be so affected by bad dreams. However, it didn't keep her awake as long as she had imagined.

Minutes later, Ibiki was stepping out from behind his hiding place after being sure that her breathing was loud and steady. He glanced at her sleeping form, she was shivering; he took pity on her. He grabbed the huge quilt on her bed and set it without much grace over her body.

Once out of her apartment, he thought himself paranoid. 'This girl clearly couldn't bring harm to anyone or be the source of discord, hell, she must've taken those files to find common grounds with the others to help her blend in'. He let himself fall on his bed and asleep instantly. The red-haired newcomer would not be a source of worry to him anymore.

* * *

_Hello readers ! I'm sorry it's been a while since I've updated, I hope you enjoyed this new chapter. As always, I encourage you leaving reviews so that I know what's good about this fic and what needs to be modified/suppressed. Thanks to all of those who have already reviewed ! _


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7 : New Habits Grow Strong, Old Ones Die Hard

Fujie opened her eyes Sunday morning at 8 o'clock. She blinked, taking in the unusual sight before her. It was the first time waking up in her living room. Her quilt was wrapped snugly around her body like a cocoon and for a few minutes she simply enjoyed the warmth it provided her. Stretching her legs and extending her toes, she let out a happy sigh. She scooted up to her feet and took the quilt with her to the kitchen. She reluctantly let go of it to reach for the tea but enjoyed the warming beverage as her breakfast.

Today, she decided, she would pay her Grandpa the visit she had been putting off since the beginning of the month. Memories from the previous day came rushing back, her nose scrunched up just at that thought. How could her grandfather have acted that way ? He usually wouldn't talk to strangers like that, let alone to people she worked with.

Still, she decided not to let it ruin her good mood, focusing on the first part of the afternoon when she was having fun playing shopkeeper and goofing around with Chieki. She skipped right into the shower, turning on the hot water and easing her sore back's muscles. She picked a bottle of blueberry scented shampoo, dumping half of it on the top of her scalp and lathering her hair. She hummed lightly, finger combing through a conditioner.

'I better look presentable today, or else Grandpa will have a fit if I'm not as polished as yesterday.'

Indeed, there had been an extra effort on her part to dress up in a brown and white dress -matching Chieki's- the day before, and she had even taken the time to apply a sophisticated make-up look. She had enjoyed it so she should definitely make that effort on a daily basis.

* * *

Meanwhile, Ibiki was just emerging from his night's sleep. For once, it had spared him the gloomy memories of his past and he had slept blissfully without muscle spasms waking him up. He stretched on his stomach still lying down, slightly wincing from the sharp pain in his left shoulder.

He rolled onto his side, grabbed a dumbbell by his bedside, and stood up to tone up his aching limb on the way to the kitchen. His Sunday breakfast always consisted of a protein-packed drink accompanying a bowl of rice porridge; he devoured it like a hungry wolf that morning. His work out carried on for a couple hours before he took a break, collapsing against a pile of boxes.

He was a little out of breath -a consequence of skipping the training sessions at work because of overwhelming dossiers. He had taken off his gloves, his forehead protector, and his shorts exposed his scarred legs, which he always avoided looking at. There were no mirrors in his home except for one in the bathroom that was strategically placed so that it would reflect for his cheeks down to his neck.

It hadn't always been that way; he once had a full length mirror in his old apartment, but it ended up shattered by his drunk and angry fists one night. He hated everything about his body, he abhorred how he had to feel his rugged skin when washing or when applying the ointment to fade the scars. His mind had long forgotten how he looked before his torture, and sometimes he thought it was for the best. How can one regret something one does not remember He had notice his hands had been much better than what they once were thanks to a daily treatment, even though the nails that had regrown had changed permanently. Perhaps some time soon he would take the decision to not wear his black gloves anymore. He sighed lightly, glancing down at his legs : the skin that had been burnt had healed in puffy trails, his calves had been so damaged by the fire his hairs would not longer grow, and he had nearly no sensitivity from his knees down. Every time something -rarely someone- touched his bare skin, he had to refrain from cringing. The friction would make his stomach turn.

Ironically, he had longed for nothing but human contact during his stay at the hospital. Just having his hand squeezed in sympathy and encouragement would have sufficed. He had had so many bandages covering him, he had been able to see only with his right eye, and had been fed for months through a tube. His appointed nurse was quite nice, making sure to bring fresh flowers and speaking to him daily, even if it was only about the weather that day and that he was in no physical condition to reply. Nine months after his admission, she had accepted a dinner with him; although when his last bandages came off, she instantly became more distant with him. In the end she used as an excuse that she couldn't bear causing pain every time she wanted to hold his hand.

He had always lived somewhat of a solitary life; he found it suited him now even better. The person closest to a friend was his subordinate Kotetsu, with whom he would go out to a bar once every week. Kotetsu, opposite of him, had always attracted the eyes of the ladies; Ibiki at times thought it would inspire him to be more daring with women. So far it hadn't, because despite his efforts to talk to them, he would easily accept defeat before their indifference.

He walked to the living room window, looking for something to divert his mind from his body. He saw a few children throwing snowballs at each other in the park under the surveillance of their mothers. His eyes flicked to a long fiery mane hurriedly moving down the path covered by snow covered street, securing a bright blue beanie over it and a matching long scarf. He saw Fujie get hit by one of the snowballs and stagger a little before turning around. He couldn't make out her expression, but she had a hand on her hip and wagged her finger at the kids before walking away laughing. He raised his eyebrow at her, even if she couldn't see it. Tomorrow, he decided, he would take her to the work out room with the rest of the office people. That should help her blend in -and if she was too uncomfortable with that, he had a letter to send at the southern ANBU training camp that needed desperately a due-over.

He had taken the habit of writing so fast, accumulating tasks and switching as quickly as possible between them, he didn't take the time to write properly, even if it was vital to transmit information. That was why he had made the most out of Fujie's helping hand as soon as she had set foot in the office. He chuckled; new people sure were fun to play with. They didn't have a blasé attitude yet, much like Kotetsu and Izumo who always half-heartedly followed his orders. The enthusiasm they showed however when they where training indicated that they simply missed playing the field.

He on the other hand liked staying in the village now. There was a time after his hospitalization when he was desperate to go out on missions and show the whole village that he hadn't suffered in any way from his incarceration behind enemy lines, though after several weeks he realized he'd be much more helpful and upbeat interrogating captured men there in Konoha. He cared less each day of what people thought of him because he tried so hard to protect himself from the side glances and whispers he would get.

He lightly tapped his forehead against the freezing window, Fujie now out of sight. A gray kestrel pecked the glass as it landed on the rail of Ibiki's balcony. 'And, yet another Sunday meeting.'' he thought exasperatedly as he took in the sight of the beautiful snow covering the whole village. Surely, the scroll was of a deep red, indicating its provenance from the Hokage's office.

A bone-chilling wind accompanied him all the way to the main building, positioned in the center of the village. The meeting went along as usual : men and women would talk about improper fulfillment of missions, Tsunade would interject some non-related ideas with energy. They would discuss security, Naruto, and a viable defensive strategy. Ibiki had no reason to hide his boredom, after all the previous meeting -held only a week before- had already covered all there was to say on these matters. When Tsunade inquired on the new employee distribution amongst the services, she asked every one of them if it had been an improvement. They all nodded one after the other, sometimes adding a verbal emphasize. When her gaze stopped on Ibiki, he groaned.

"It depends. If my reports are more readable now, then yes, she is useful to me."

Tsunade let her eyes trail back to Shizune, who gave her an understanding look. She knew because of Anko that he wasn't glad people were moved from one service to another, even though providing help.

"Meeting adjourned until next week. We will have then a sum up on the extra patrols and other security enforcements."

'That old woman has the same speech every week it seems... Security and finding if any information is leaking from our own sidelines'. He thought, annoyed as he realized the meeting had lasted more than two hours. He still filled the rest of his afternoon with a long hike in the woods, following a stream that led him to a small cascade to a familiar clearing.

There, he sat in his usual spot on the biggest of the boulders, picked up pebbles, and threw them as far off into the water as possible. He enjoyed meditating on that rock to clear his head or to try to figure out the root of his problem -and most urgently, a solution to it. His folding back on himself could only harm him, but he couldn't figure any escape, any solution. Not only did he have a hard time engaging people in a casual way, he also had over the years put up barriers no one at the moment could ever cross, no even the people who knew him before his changing. He knew he was changed, but couldn't figure out if his scars were his whole identity now.

He had never voiced what happened during the numerous interrogations he had suffered, he had no need to do so. Some unknown ninja first probed his head to see what superficial facts he could get out of him, then a second verified if Ibiki hadn't leaked any information, and a third made sure those were not created memories.

He picked up another small rock but before he could throw it beyond the waterfall, a cold wind brushed through the leafless trees surrounding him, reminding him of the late hour. He made his way down to the village, detouring by the street lined with bars, perhaps in the hope of seeing Kotetsu. This one not once judged him, even at the beginning of their collaboration, and Ibiki appreciated that. Also, Kotetsu had too his share of scars, covered by white bandages. Drunk one night, he had confessed that the reason why he hid them like so was because of women. "Even though they like the idea of marks from previous battles, they prefer not to face them all the time" he had said. Ibiki often wondered why _his_ covered scars didn't arouse they curiosity. Maybe drivel holes are different from neatly sliced wounds.

"Hey Scarface, how's your night going ?" A drunk shinobi managed to shout as he strolled by. He considered the man for a second before turning away, ignoring him.

"Are you too cool to answer ? Hey, I'm talking to you ! What, are you scared of me?"

Ibiki made a turn into a smaller and quieter street, however not accelerating his stride. The man easily followed him, building up more and more anger in his voice. Clearly, Ibiki not acknowledging him pissed him off even more than the alcoholic drinks. After one last insult thrown at him, Ibiki felt a hand on his shoulders, spinning him round and a direct punch collide with his jaw.

He lifted his hand to rub the sore spot, but another blow hit him in the gut. Toppling over, he let himself get beaten by this inebriated stranger.

After the man lost interest in him and he finally got to his building, Ibiki made a spot on the steps of the main entrance and pulled out a cigarette from its pack. His ribs ached when he inhaled the smoke, but he exhaled almost chuckling. He thought he was spinning out of control, that was even including the smoking habit he had taken up. This new need to hurt himself had emerged only a few months ago, but he felt as if it would settle for a long period of time. Perhaps he was damaged beyond repair, perhaps the only way for him to feel was through pain. 'Maybe this is what I have become.'

His third cigarette was interrupted by muffled steps, and seconds later stood before him his one-floor-down neighbor. He flicked it into the melted snow and got to his feet. She asked if everything was alright, her brows furrowed in concern. 'Since when can everything ever be alright ?', he though bitterly as he limped into their hall, ignoring her completely.

Fujie flicked her tongue against her palate in irritation before grabbing hold of his elbow, helping him up the stairs. Before the last flight of stairs was over, she spoke.

"I know we are not friends Morino-san, but if you need to talk to someone, I'm a very good listener. And I promise you , I don't judge people."

He didn't ever look at her, tearing away from her grasp and climbing the last couple of steps on his own. He had his back to her when he answered.

"Thank you for your concern," he managed through gritted teeth, "but I don't need your help". And with that, he slammed the door of his apartment behind him.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8 : There's No Pity

Lying over her bed covers, Fujie was staring into nothingness. She had the unpleasant feel of damp hair stuck to her neck, though she wouldn't move to do anything about it. Seeing her boss in such a bad shape had alarmed her -and his lack of emotion considering the situation, even more. She wondered if she could still go upstairs to check on him, despite his cold words earlier. Also, half past midnight was definitely not a casual hour to knock on someone's door.

She wriggled under the quilt, lifting her hair so it wouldn't bother her anymore, and settled her head on the pillow as she tried to empty her head of those bothering thoughts. The ticking of the bedside clock counted every second that came by without her sleeping. Uncomfortably she stirred in the bed, but she couldn't find sleep. In a last attempt to reason herself not to give Ibiki a visit at such an hour, she imagined what her grandfather would say to convince her not to. The cranky old man would say that if he had been woken up in the middle of the night as he tried to recuperate from a beating, he would knock the daylights out of the person who dared knock on his door.

However the curiosity got the better of her and pushed her out of the bed, having in mind the excuse that her grandfather always said to reach out to those in need of help.

"Curiosity will get the best out of me..." she muttered to herself as she shrugged on a robe and shuffled her way to the fifth floor. Just before her knuckles hit the wooden surface of his door, she stopped herself to hurry back to her apartment.

"Can't come empty handed..."

She climbed onto the kitchen workplace and opened all her cabinets to find the medicine tea she had stored just in case. Then, rushing to the bathroom, she extracted from under the sink cupboard her first aid kit. The big and small boxes in her arms, she got to his door and knocked loud enough for him to hear from his bedroom -but spaced enough for it not to sound aggressive. She pause for a minute, pressing her ear to the door to catch any sounds coming from the inside. She backed away and tried a second time. After the third try, she was able to catch the sound of muffled steps and a soft 'thump' against the door. She guessed he was leaning against it.

"Morino-san," she said softly, "please open up, I'm sure you don't have an aid kit in your new home, so I brought you mine."

"I thought I had told you not to bother." was the immediate answer.

His voice had a familiar tone to it, as if he was talking to a friend he was tired to fight with, so she leaned in with her hand pressed to the door to speak against it.

"Morino-san, let me in. I won't say another word if you do."

Fujie felt sympathy for the man. She too was living alone, but had her grandfather to visit not far away. The boxes in her arms seemed heavier by the minute; as she was about to turn on her heels, the sound of locks opening got to her ears and the door flung open. Fujie's heart skipped a beat. After all, she did not truly expect him to let her in.

She set a foot with caution inside the dark apartment, closing the door behind her. None of the lights were on, and she could only make out his silhouette from the streetlights behind the main window. She squinted; he sat down on the largest of the cardboard boxes scattered in the middle of his living room, his bare back to her. She walked near him, setting her belongings on the floor beside him. She made out fresh scratches and cuts from his neck down to the top of his shoulder blades; droplets of dark blood glistened in the orange light.

Ibiki lit a cigarette, inhaling deeply. She heard the raspy breathing and knew his ribs hurt. Kneeling behind him, she began disinfecting the superficial wounds. The hair on the back of her head stood when she felt unevenness : bits of glass were embedded in them. She got closer to the nape of his neck and with the utmost care extracted them with a tweezer she had pulled from the bigger box. The place was completely dark, she couldn't see much of what she was doing and was hurting him with her shaking hands.

Fujie stood up suddenly, snatching the smaller box from the ground and made her way to the kitchen. Feeling her way through it, she got to the cupboards, pulled out a pan to ready some tea and headed back to the living room. Her feet got caught in something on the floor, she fell flat on her face. A soft laugh was heard, but she believed she had imagined it as Ibiki had not moved a muscle. Weakly pulling herself up, she strained her eyes to spot a lamp of some sort in the apartment. All she got was a small candle, resting on top of boxes. She neared Ibiki, immobile except to take the cigarette out of his mouth to exhale or to blow on the glowing tip, and took the matchbox away to light the candle. The light shone on its silver candle-holder and poured into the room. Fujie cracked another match to light the stove, and in minutes the tea she had brought was ready.

Ibiki's cigarette fully consumed, he dropped it in the ashtray at his feet. As he was carefully listening to every sound Fujie made while walking around in his apartment, he admitted to himself he was curious of what she was doing. She crouched in front of him and forced the steaming cup in his hand, holding them together until his fingers folded around it.

The closeness did not put her at ease; she felt like an intruder in his home. Normally a friend should have taken care of him in this situation. She had wondered if he had any real friends when she had learnt that he had no family in the area.

His eyes bored into hers. Like a serpent and its prey, neither moved. For minutes, she still had hold of his hand, not making a move to let go. He, however, slowly raised his free hand to his bandanna. Curiosity had him on the edge; he wanted to see how she would respond, he wanted to know if she would be disgusted by him. The knot went loose and it fell to the ground with a metallic sound.

She tore her eyes from his, gazing at his scalp. Her insides tightening at the sight before her, as her throat and her hand around his did. Without knowing why, tears welled up and she wasn't sure if she was about to sob or throw up. Old drill holes and cuts fully covered his head, looking deep and painful. She managed to look at him again.

"It's medicinal tea. Drink it." she whispered with great difficulty, letting go of him and going back to the tending of his back, with light this time.

She almost dug deeper in his skin to pull out the shards of glass out of distraction. She had a clear view of the back of his head and now understood all that her coworkers had insinuated about Ibiki. Even as she took the last piece out, blood kept dripping on the compress she was holding close to the wound.

"I'll put a bandage on, you'll keep it until tomorrow night."

After a moment of hesitation, and in a whisper, she asked, "Where else have you been hurt ?"

He gave a sour laugh, loud and clear. The candle had been set beside her, and her hands, resting on his back, moved with the jolts of his laughter.

"You must be blind, Oda." he still was using that familiar form of address, "Have I not shown you my skull, my back ?"

At his saying, she approached the candle, the light reached the two tears along his shoulder blades and a cry of surprise mixed with horror escaped her lips. She clasped her hand over her mouth to prevent herself from emitting another sound. The scars were similar to ones she had seen on the picture of a prisoner hanging from the ceiling with hooks deeply set in his back muscles.

Droplets of water dribbling down Ibiki's back made him jump up and knock over the candle-holder; Fujie moved back in the same moment.

"Why are you crying ?"

He tried finding her in the dark but his eyes weren't accustomed enough. He was stunned by her reaction yet he wanted to see her expression. None of the women he had showed himself to had had this kind of response to his appearance. None of them had cried for him. A sniffing sound indicated that she was standing between the door to the hallway and the kitchen entrance.

"You've been through so much... To see you putting your body through even more... You shouldn't be thinking that... You …"

In one swift movement, she had the front door unlocked and open. She felt that she had been way closer than she should have, that she had crossed some kind of boundaries. Guilt had overcome the other emotions swarming inside her, now all she wanted to do was leave him at peace. If she left now, less damage will be done.

"I'm sorry. I'll see you tomorrow; rest well."

The night prevented him from seeing the tears streaking her puffy red cheeks, but he did catch the tone of her trembling voice.

It was as if the wind had been knocked out of him when she left; he had to lie down to breathe normally again and to recover from his confusion. For the first time in a while, Ibiki felt the whole weight of his body, the effort it took him to move his heavy limbs onto the bed. It faded away as he dozed off into a restful and dreamless sleep. His last thought before slumber was to remember to thank her for the soothing tea the next day.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9 : Hot Cocoa for the Tired Souls

That Monday, the snow had completely covered Konoha, as if a thick layer of powdered sugar had been sprinkled over it, and the barely awake villagers were getting around with great caution. Parents accompanying their children to school were trying to restrain them from throwing snowballs at strangers, and the young shinobis on their way to the Ninja Academy were practicing not leaving footprints in the snow.

Surprisingly, Fujie had been able to get out of bed at six o'clock in one swift motion. As her coffee pot perked, she figured it had been the tension of the previous night that only let her have a light sleep, and after pouring herself a good amount of the black beverage, she went back to her bedroom to properly pick her work clothes. She checked the weather by peaking outside the heavy drapes, and told herself that day would be even colder than the previous. After half an hour wasted digging in her wardrobe for her warmest sweater, she decided to go there onion-style, by layering lighter clothing.

She took a single step outside and immediately regretted her choice of footwear as her heels dug in the snow and slipped against the frozen surface under it. She landed flat on her back, arms spread, and remained there a minute, pondering whether this was a sign not to go to work. Her professionalism got the best of her so she gathered her legs under her with difficulty and took her time to get to her workplace.

Because of the bad weather, none of her colleagues had arrived yet, however she didn't take the opportunity to snoop around and started right away. Her job was relatively easy compared to what the others did, all she did was copy the reports and order them. The only difficult aspect of it was to avoid picturing what was written. Sometimes she would cringe, as there were pictures attached to the files, but still she had taken some pride in the fact that she was rarely unsettled.

An hour went by, and finally the office door opened to reveal Izumo, arms linked with Kotetsu, both covered in snow and obviously frozen to the bone. As they were hanging their coats and shaking the snow off their boots, Fujie politely addressed them.

"Good morning Izumo-san, Kotetsu-san. I've been told there is a kitchen on the second floor, would you care for a mug of hot chocolate before the boss arrives ? I'm not too sure this would be the kind of thing he allows ..."

"Good morning Fujie-san !" the two replied in unison. They looked at each other and Kotetsu let Izumo speak, "Actually, we have one on this floor as well, it's behind that door, at the end of the office."

Indeed, now that it was pointed out to her, she could spot the door opposite of the last window. And from his reply, she guessed they weren't against the idea of a hot beverage, so she made her way between the desks and stepped into the office kitchen. It was no surprise that she couldn't find milk in the fridge, but she managed to get her hands on a bar of unsweetened chocolate and white sugar cubes. An old towel made up for an apron, and Fujie was set to start preparing the drink.

The chocolate was placed in a pan to slowly melt while she crushed a large amount of sugar cubes into a fine powder. She looked for something to blend the ingredients together, opening cabinets and drawers, her mind suddenly distracted by the events of the night before. She diverted her train of thought to the two pairs of eyes set on her.

'That must count as befriending colleagues.' Fujie thought happily as she was still searching for an utensil, 'These two seem the nicest among the office.'

A real whisk was handed to her from behind. She smiled as a thank you to Kotetsu, and gradually added boiling water to the pan, blending it gently with the chocolate. The men got closer as she whisked the sugar in; the smell of hot cocoa now filled the entire office.

"Do you do this often ? 'Cause with this cold weather, we wouldn't be against it if you made it more often. Ibiki arrives late every other day, don't you worry about him."

Izumo laughed and nudged his friend, "That would change from the warming up alcohol you drink with him, now wouldn't it ? I sure would prefer drinking with you anytime, Fuu-chan."

After she had poured the beverage into two cups and handed it to them, the two men looked more like joyful kids than skilled ninjas as they sipped loudly and happily. The sight of it made herself feel warm inside so she overlooked the familiar name Izumo had used. They stayed in the kitchen to discuss the weather, the upcoming Chuunin exam, and lastly, Fujie's previous job.

"Well, you see... I was..." much to her discomfort, she couldn't tell if they had Ibiki's skill of seeing through lies, "I was basically... doing the same thing I do here..." she took a more assured tone, "I was dealing with paperwork all day at the hospital. Just sorting and delivering, copying. The same old thing."

"In that case, you'll be happy to hear that today, if we work hard enough, we will be done with this week's work ! That is, if we don't spot any menace... But, if we don't, we will be able to have four days of blissful training !"

"Fuu-chan, we know you're not a shinobi, but would you mind tagging along to cheer ?" asked hopefully Kotetsu, wringing his hands.

"We'll have to see with Morino-san, I would be glad to come if he doesn't mind. As for now, it's time to get that work done, right ?" she said as she settled back to her desk.

"Right !" they said together, following her example as the others finally got there.

Two hours later, just before the lunch break, Ibiki arrived at the office : he had slept so well that he hadn't gotten up when the alarm clock went off. He didn't care, after all he was the boss, and he could arrive at any hour he seemed fit. The top floor seemed oddly quiet, and he was surprised to find everyone concentrated on their work. He flung casually his jacket onto the coat stand near the door. No one looked up, and he just shrugged the strangeness of that morning off. However, his brows knitted together when he slumped on his chair and noticed nothing was left on his desk.

'Is this some kind of new prank ?'

His features softened slightly when he looked over to Fujie, focused on rapidly rewriting reports from an enormous binder. She had obviously cut her bangs that morning, hiding conveniently her eyes; her red hair had been braided back and made it visible that the corners of her mouth were pulled upwards.

He diverted his eyes from her as Kotetsu happily skipped towards him. Ibiki cocked his eyebrow at him. 'Skipping, really ?'

"Good morning ! You're probably wondering 'Where the hell are those damn papers ?'"

His poor impression of Ibiki did not make this one smile the least.

"Well, have no fear ! Since you've arrived late," he pointed at the clock, "we sped up and we should have all the workload cleared right about now." He leaned forwards, "That mean what you know it means. Days of blissful non-stop training !"

All of his coworkers cheered. Kotetsu's smile spread wider -if that was even possible- and his fox eyes were glistening. "Aaand, guess who had the idea ? Only our cutest latest addition to our office, Fuu-chan !"

As Kotetsu wrapped an arm around her and jingled her not so gently, Fujie's face grew hot with embarrassment. She wondered why he would even think of saying it had been her proposing. It would be convenient for her because it would divert the guys' attention and she would be able to take a breather, but she didn't see their interest in that. They all seemed to miss the field, so it might lighten the mood of everyone. But now, sneaking off during lunch hour without anyone noticing would be impossible after Kotetsu's comment.

Midori's cheeks were red of jealousy. _She _was the 'cutest latest' addition to the team, how dared he say that ? Just because they miss training didn't mean they had to be all over her for having that idea. It wasn't that great anyways, any one of them could have had it. If she was trying to devalue her, she picked the wrong woman to do so.

When the clock struck twelve, everyone but Fujie rushed out of the office. The last ones to leave were Ibiki and Midori. The woman had engaged a conversation with him about the training program, clearly excited, and laughed heartily on her way out with him. Them gone, she unpacked the lunch box she had prepared with leftovers that morning. The rice seemed undercooked, though the shrimp and beef meatballs looked delicious. She was about to put one whole in her mouth, when Midori barged into the office.

"What did you think you were doing ? Do you think you can just be in this office for less than a week and have everyone like you ? Let me tell you, it doesn't take _anyone _less than a month to be integrated in the team. So you watch your back, and keep being that red paperbug no one cares about."

"Oh, I didn't know you felt threatened by me, Midori-san, but I assure you I'm only here temporarily so there is no need to think that I would be preferred to you."

Fujie smiled at her and bit into her meatball, indicating to the woman standing before her that the discussion was finished and that she should occupy her mind with her own lunch for now.

When the angry brunette left, Fujie had a low victory laugh. One has to enjoy the little wins. Deciding lunch on the roof was out of the question with such strong winds blowing, she wrapped herself in her warm coat and took the elevator down. The U shape of the Information building conveniently hid the training grounds from unwanted watchers and shielded them from the wind. They were smaller than the ones of the Special Forces or even the Ninja Academy, although they were fully sufficient for the number of shinobis training that day.

She sat on the edge of a bench with her feet dangling, far from the others, her lunch box in her lap, peering at the grounds before her. Snowflakes kept getting caught in her eyelashes, but she only felt the cold against her cheeks. She didn't care that her dish had rapidly gone cold as she was able to watch everyone's behavior. Ibiki had a look on his face indicating that he felt in charge of eager genins, disapprovingly glancing at Midori spoon-feeding Youji, and shaking his head slightly as Izumo and Kotetsu -who had already wolfed down their packed bento- threw snowballs at each other. Three of his men on his right were mimicking techniques and their effects, while the rest were in a hurry to eat, not really engaging with the others.

The training started with a few warm-ups, lapses, and juvenile games such as tag. Fujie was amazed by the coherence of the team. Not one of them was left out, they were all giving comments and advice to each other. At that moment, she felt like she was witnessing more than a team game, and would have been glad to have to capability to join them.

The practice turn into a demonstration of taijutsu, ninjutsu and genjutsu, although Fujie had a hard time following every technique performed on the field. To her left, Ibiki was shouting corrections and ameliorations for his subordinates, orchestrating the whole. He had glanced at her a few times, mostly when she had openly encouraged Izumo and Kotetsu, but she pretended not to notice. The events of the previous night, although he showed no sign of being affected by them, still stirred her insides, even though she only wanted to turn to him, smile, and talk about something, anything, to distract him from the pain he skillfully concealed.

After hours going by and the snow falling in a thicker curtain, Ibiki's team finally settled to head inside to the weight lifting room. Fujie took this as an opportunity to leave early, and, after explaining to Ibiki that she wasn't in shape for that yet, walked as quickly as possible to Chieki's apartment.

"Chieki, open up ! It's me, Fuu. Open, open, open, open." Hearing footsteps behind the door, she stopped her incessant knocking.

"Hi Kairi. Sorry I for knocking so loudly, I was expecting Chieki... Is she here ? Can I come in ?"

"Of course, Fuu-chan, come on in," he moved from the entry to go to his kitchen, "She's not back from the hospital yet, she said she would be here in less than an hour. Would you like a cup of tea ?"

"I'd love some, please." She took off her coat and sat at the kitchen table, "How have you been ? You look less tired than when I last saw you."

He nodded, placing the teapot on the stove and fixing the cups while the water boiled. He told her that he had been sleeping more now that he had some vacation time.

"Then it seems that the hours I don't sleep go to you," she joked, "What is your job ? I don't remember Chieki saying anything about it."

"I work at the apothecary's shop on Main Street. I have a lot to do there, from research to the collection of the herbs, to brewing... It's a lot more straining than it appears."

They talked more about plant properties, sometimes arguing lightly but also laughing when sharing disastrous experiences. Time flew, an hour went by without them noticing. Fujie had only drunk half of her tea, so she took the initiative to warm it up and make another cup for Kairi. The conversation drifted to her own work environment, and so she gave him the events that had occurred the past few days.

"Scars.. all over his face ? And back you said, that's terrible... Do you suppose it's all over his body ?"

"All over his scalp," she corrected, "Yes, his back too suffered from... torture... instruments, and he must be hurt all over... I felt sick when I saw it, and yet, I want badly to comfort him, to try to make things right for him. Can you imagine living his life, like that ? He must be constantly feeling lonely... Hiding emotions or pushing people away. I think that's what he tried to do last night, to show me his scars so I wouldn't approach him again."

"Do you think he's looking to get hurt ? If I were him, I think I'd rather be looking for company. Maybe he was testing you ?"

She shook her head, unsure. 'His injuries last night weren't from a personal training, he must've been looking for trouble. But... why ? To remind himself of what ?' She looked into her cup, vainly searching for an answer as she twirled the tea around.

"Kairi, I'm home ! Sorry I'm late, I was shopping for tonight's meal, and... Fuu ! You're here ? Why haven't you given me a call or something ?"

Chieki came into the kitchen in a tornado of white hair and snowflakes. Her lips were freezing against Kairi's and Fujie's cheeks when she kissed them hello. She began unpacking her groceries, telling about her day before the other woman interrupted her. Fujie said everything she had just told Kairi, including her reflection on it.

"It reminds me of this patient I have. He's paranoiac and he-"

"Morino-san isn't paranoiac, you know that."

"Let me finish. He inflicts himself injuries because he feels in control that way, and others can't wound him, so that-"

"But Morino-san isn't injuring himself..."

"Fuu, from what I heard about his state last night, he's provoking others to hurt him."

It saddened Fujie that Chieki's reasoning had met her own. She made a mental note to accelerate the process of getting to know him so that she could gain more information firsthand.

"Fuu-chan, are you staying over for dinner ? I'm certain we have enough to cook for three people. Right Chieki ?"

She nodded absentmindedly, already taking out three sets of tableware. "I'm making okonomiyaki, so there can be be plenty." She leaned over the sink and lifted the lace curtain of the kitchen window, checking for the weather.

"It doesn't seem like you can go home tonight, the snow is way too high. I hope you don't mind sleeping on the couch," she added, sounding reluctant.

"The couch is fine, don't worry." Fujie waved her hand as if to chase a bad idea. It was preferable to stay overnight, she thought, remembering the Fujie-shaped hole in the snow in front of her building, surely by then faded away.

"Do you need any help ?" seeing her friend shake her head, she inquired, "would it be a bother if I took a shower before dinner ?"

She was directing the question to Chieki, but mainly she wanted to know if it would disturb Kairi. This one simply shrugged and shook his head, while Chieki had already agreed and was indicating where Fujie could find a pair of pyjamas to borrow.

The hot water felt soothing against her tired muscles. She took a few minutes to wash her hair, braid it and pull it into a bun while it was still wet, before moussing the soap all over her body. The bathroom's door cracking open made her jump against the steamed glass wall with her arms around her. Kairi poked his head through with both of his hands clamped over his eyes, talking in her direction,

"You didn't hear me knock. I did though, five times. Chieki says it'll be ready in a couple minutes so you have to hurry up. Sorry if I scared you."

He bumped his head on his way out, and Fujie's heart beat steadily only after he had closed the door. She quickly rinsed and dried herself before jumping in the nightwear grabbed in Chieki's wardrobe. She hated to be startled, especially by a man. Rushing to the living room to sit at the dinner table, she caught her feet in the purple fabric of her pants, and fell over before clumsily catching herself to the back of the couch.

"You and your stupid never ending legs... Even rolled up three times these pants are too long !"

Kairi offered to lend her a pair of sweatpants, but Fujie politely declined, saying it didn't matter as he too, was taller than she. She decided to change the subject so that they would talk of their projects for the summer as they ate, mostly about the travels they intended to do. The discussion went on after Chieki had turned in, when Fujie sat with Kairi on the couch with a steaming cup of hot cocoa in their hands.

She had forgotten how pleasant it was to chat all night with someone she had just met, so she enjoyed it while it lasted. Kairi was just talking of a flower that could only blossom through a layer of snow, giving it odd characteristics, but Fujie felt like he was narrating the beginning of a fairy tale. He moved on to another peculiar flower as she slumped on his shoulder, nodding her head to indicate that she was still listening. A moment later, feeling the fatigue spread, he rested his head against hers, and so they both fell asleep in an uncomfortable sitting position.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10 : The Little Black Book

"Fuu-chan, it's eight o'clock."

Fujie stirred, only to remain sprawled at full length on the sofa. Kairi's soft voice calling again from the kitchen made her curl up on the velvet cushions.

"Am I to deduce that you're taking the day off ?"

When Fujie mumbled inaudibly, Kairi set a foot back into the living room to hear her answer repeated.

" 'S shinobi training 'til Christmas. Don't need to call to not go to work today."

"Ah," he said, going back to the stove, "good then. I'm sorry to have woken you."

Slipping back into slumber for another two hours, she didn't move until a crashing sound, followed by a string of curses, startled her awake. She grabbed the nearest weapon she could find -a pencil-, and raised it menacingly over her head, looking for the source of disturbance. Her foggy mind could not process right away the sight before her; she blinked rapidly so that the blur of white, black, and red would come into focus.

She saw Kairi kneeling, grabbing a hold of his wrist, amidst broken plates, flour dust, and turned over pans, blood gushing out of his wounded hand. A cry escaped her lips as she jumped over the back of the couch to get to him. Unfortunately, her newly-awaken self did not have the coordination of the limbs she usually possessed, and her foot got caught; she tripped over the couch, falling heels over head, and landed on her back a couple feet away from Kairi.

The wind had been knocked out of her lungs, so she erupted in coughing fits of laughter, gasping for air. As she laughed uncontrollably, all the tension that had been left in her, all the worries that had bubbled to the surface of her consciousness after her last encounter with Ibiki and about the next few weeks vanished as she lay on the floor, holding her ribs tightly as she roared with laughter. Kairi, who had witnessed the scene from the threatening pencil raise to her somersault, couldn't hold himself any longer and joined her.

After fifteen minutes of undisrupted, heartily laughter, the two finally calmed down. Fujie crawled on all fours to Kairi, then helped him up.

"Here, here, let's fix you up," she said taking him by the forearm and leading him to the bathroom, "Or should I take you to the emergency room ?"

"No need, Fuu-chan, really," Kairi said as she examined the cut in his palm, "it's not that deep."

Despite the bloody situation, the urge to laugh was still present, and they were grinning at each other. Fujie pulled the piece of porcelain out, reminded of her tending of Ibiki's back, cleaned the wound, and bandaged it. Blood did not make her queasy like the sight of scars did : as Chieki worked in the emergency room, Fujie had many time seen the bloody victims of accidents.

But those scars, to her, they represented hatred, torture, war, and isolation. She didn't want to think about it, so quickly she pushed those dark thoughts aside, determined not to let them ruin her good mood. She went back to the kitchen to clean the mess Kairi had made. And, as she picked up broken pieces of porcelain and stacked the pans away, a smile crept back onto her lips.

"Are you a klutz ? _What_ were you trying to do ?" she asked Kairi while he helped by sweeping up the flour.

"_You _can't say anything about klutzing after that glorious fall earlier," she narrowed her eyes at him but he went on with the explanation. "I was trying to make a chocolate cake … I was moving the plates to get to the flour, and … didn't see the pile of pans."

His grey eyes showed disappointment; it made Fujie immediately want to change his spirits, "Would you want to try baking again, this time with me ?"

He agreed to it only after eating breakfast and if he could treat her to lunch afterwards. They, in fact, stayed the whole day cooking in the kitchen, burning cake dough and chocolate, pausing to stir fry rice, beef and vegetables for lunch, then resuming the baking.

Kairi's eyes were stinging; he would rub them often with his hands full of flour, irritating them further, when Fujie was looking away. Nonetheless, he spent a great day in her company, and was greatly saddened when she announced she was leaving at the end of the afternoon. Just before she closed the front door, he asked if she would have a drink the next evening with him and Chieki, to which she agreed.

The snow outside had been packed by the villagers walking around, and a treacherous layer of ice had formed in some areas. Fujie did her best to avoid it by contouring the shopping center, where a crowd of people had no doubt walked, through small streets and crossing the park next to her building. The sky was pitch black, stars hidden, giving not a single clue as to what the weather will be the next day.

She lingered a moment on the stairs, expecting at every sound she heard to see Ibiki staggered from the corner of the street, but, convincing herself that the training might have erased whatever had troubled him the day before, she climbed the stairs to her apartment. As she ended out of breath on the last step, she caught a glimpse of Sado and his boyfriend entering his apartment. Haruki waved at her, Sado called out from the end of the hallway.

"Coffee on Saturday ?"

To which Fujie replied, as she strode to her door, that she was spending the Christmas week-end with her grandpa. The black-haired man simply shrugged, smiling, and wished her family and her a merry Christmas before disappearing in his apartment.

After fumbling with her giant set of keys and finally fitting the right one in the lock, she got into her own apartment. Discarding her clothes on the floor, she went straight to her shower, trying to ignore the feeling of loneliness that overcame her when she stepped into her dark and empty flat, high in contrast with the whole joyful day she had spent with Kairi. Steaming water poured onto her body, clearing her mind again from worries to find something to keep herself occupied that evening.

After getting out of the shower, she picked up and arranged furniture around in her living room, cooked an elaborate dinner. However, when she had finished clearing the kitchen and washing the dishes, she had no more ideas to procrastinate. So, she went into her closet, grabbed an unused black leather-bound notebook, and settled kneeling at her coffee table. Her shoulders and back were bent forward as she wrote, pausing to carefully choose her words. When the yawns were too frequent to ignore, she carried the book to her bed, and continued to write until she fell asleep on it.

The next morning, she woke at a late hour. The sun was as high in the clear sky as the winter season would permit; droplets ran down her window as the snow melted slowly. She listened for a crashing sound, like the one in her dream or the one that had woken her the day before, but everything was still and quiet.

She just lay immobile, pondering on how to occupy herself the whole day. The answer came naturally when she tried to pull herself up, her weak abdominal muscles unable to get her to a sitting position. At that moment, she realized just how out of shape she was : her stomach and arms had gone soft, her waistline was unsuitably wide on her; only her legs had remained lean.

The good mood she had tried to preserve from the day before left her completely under her critical eye, but she still got up full of resignation, and, after getting dressed and savoring a carefully balanced breakfast, she walked to the other side of the village to the public library. She climbed the stairs, angry at herself for letting herself go.

'I shouldn't be so tempted to eat raw dough whenever I'm baking... Dammit... I should have taken the hint when Midori had that nasty smile plastered on her face when she saw me in a skirt.'

The shelves were impressive, stretching up to the high ceiling. From the inside, it resembled more a church than a library, with its stained glass windows and arks supporting the roof. Fujie took her time to wander in the maze, stopping at moments to look up the titles of ancient looking books or to climb the ladders as to have a general view of the sanctuary of knowledge. She only borrowed three books : one explaining routine work-outs promising quick results, another on nutrition, and the last one on the calming effects of herbs. When she got back to her apartment, the rest of her day was dedicated to the reading of those books, spaced out by poorly-executed sit-ups and push-ups.

Additional care was taken to stretch her now aching muscles before she showered and got ready to go out with her two friends. She wiggled into a pair of jeans and tucked on an empire waist shirt to cover her love handles and compliment her bust : the only positive aspect she could see from that gain of weight was that her cleavage had now an appreciable size.

Thankful that her winter coat covered warmly her bare arms, she briskly walked to the main bar street of Konoha. Chieki and her roommate spotted her before she, and the three huddled into the first bar they saw to escape the cold night wind. Their first choice was a mistake : they had to leave moments later for it was filled with an aggressive atmosphere : the ninja drinking there seemed not too pleased seeing civilians walk in, and already there was tension rising as two billiard players were gripping each other's collar.

"I think the situation would be much better if they were named in the army, and not hired on missions like mercenaries... We wouldn't have so many rogue ninjas," Kairi said as they walked further down the street. "Here, I know a pub where they hardly ever come."

But it seemed that on a Wednesday night, a civilian couldn't expect more that a bar bustling with shinobis, as they enjoyed their mid-week spared of missions. Chieki decided the Southern tavern was their best option, so they settled in a horseshoe-shaped booth apart from the other tables. Fujie looked at the two on her left wondering if having siblings would be like that, as they all argued over which finger-food they would order. Kairi was pulling Chieki away from the menu as the waiter came, ordering food and drinks for all of them.

"My treat," he said to the woman to prevent her from pouting. It was, indeed, effective : she flipped her white hair, smiling, and turned to Fujie.

"So, what did you do today ? Kairi told me you didn't have to work. I'm so envious !"

But Fujie had a completely other matter on her mind; she blurted out, "How is the paranoiac patient ?"

"Really ? That's what you want to talk about when you're out with friends ?" the look on Fujie's face made her friend regret her tone, "Sea-san took charge of him today, but this morning he still scratched his forearm skin until it bled."

"Sea-san," Fujie repeated as she searched her memory, "is that person new to the hospital ?"

"Dr. Sea Kentaro is the person now in charge of the psychiatric service. He seems nice enough, and quite focused at work. It wasn't really an event worth mentioning to you," Chieki dismissed the subject. "So you're not seeing your boss for a few days, really ?"

Fujie shook her head, "I have Christmas shopping to do, it'll keep me occupied. Also I soon have to give in a r-"

A loud noise interrupted her. A man had stood up kicking away the table in front of him, which tipped upside down near the entrance door. He had his back to them, but she and Chieki had no problem recognizing Ibiki. Kotetsu, who had been drinking at his table, had fallen backwards in his chair, and was looking at him with a pleased, drunken look on his face.

"Hit the right spot, didn't I ?"

Ibiki grabbed Kotetsu by the shirt and punched him in the jaw. Somebody in the back yelled 'Fight !', and then the bar fight lit up like a house on fire.

Chieki pulled Kairi out of the booth as he grasped Fujie's hand. They tried to make their way to the main door, avoiding being clubbed by glass bottles or knocked over by someone, but Fujie dropped Kairi's hand when an unconscious man fell on her. Chieki however, did not notice it, and tugged her roommate out of the tavern.

"Chieki ! Help me !" Fujie cried, fumbling to roll the heavy man off her, "I'm here, help me !"

She finally succeeded as a dropped bottle sprayed glass near her face, and she got to her feet shakily against the wall. Taking a deep breath, she moved forward, pushing fighting and cussing men, until she almost got to the turned over table. A tall man was actively beating another one right in front of her, but Fujie gathered her courage and pulled his shoulder backwards with both her hands to move him out of the way. Automatically, the man swung his opposite arm in her direction, crashing his large fist against her temple, and knocking her out.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11 : Blindfold

Unconscious on the floor of the bar, Fujie did not witness the on-duty shinobis stopping the fight. She did not see Ibiki being restrained by three men as two others dragged a banged-up Kotetsu, or the bartender holding a drunk man by the collar, waiting for the rest of the inebriated customers to be carted out of his propriety.

When Fujie woke up, even though her eyes could not see clearly, she immediately recognized the wooden beams in her old bedroom at her grandfather's house. She turned her head towards the chimney, where a fire had been lit, and saw her grandfather sitting in the armchair set next to it, his head resting on his chest and deeply sleeping. The old man had a book opened on his lap and his trusty cane had fallen to the ground by his feet.

Judging by the light coming through the blinds, Fujie could guess that it was at least mid-day. Once her eyes grew accustomed to the semi-darkness, she caught a glimpse of her bruised hand as she raised it to massage her throbbing temple. She flinched when her fingers came in contact with a tender swelling. Lowering her arm, she carefully stretched her aching body while trying to remember the events of the previous night. She could not quite fill the void, only fleeting sensations and blurred colors would come to her.

« Grandpa, » she whispered across the room, hardly lifting her head from the pillow.

Her grandfather twitched and emitted a grunt, but did not wake up. Fujie decided to let him sleep when she saw the deeply set bags under his eyes, accentuated by the light from the dying fire.

She slid her feet off the bed, taking her time before getting onto her feet with more ease than what she imagined. Still, she held on to the handrail for good measure as she went down to the kitchen. While fixing herself tea, she began piecing the previous night back together.

Now holding the steaming cup in both hands, she took a look at her surroundings, which had not changed at all since her childhood. The wooden tableware was neatly stacked on the shelves, the copper pots and pans hung by the old-fashioned stove, the enormous green teacups her grandfather used to serve tea in, and even the worn-out floral drapes were still the same. Everything in the house brought her back fond memories. She briefly thought of the absence of her parents, but brushed it off.

« Fuu ? » she heard coming from upstairs.

« I'm in the kitchen Grandpa ! » she took another cup from the glass cabinet near the door. « I'm fixing you some tea, » she said as she placed the boiler back on the stove.

Her grandfather slowly came down the stairs, holding firmly in on hand the rail, clutching his cane in the other hand.

« The medicinal one is in the cupboard to your left. »

To Fujie's surprise, it was fuller and more cluttered than the last time she cleaned the kitchen.

« The red box, take the black leaves in the red box, » he said, finally taking a seat at the table in the center of the room. « It helps, even though it still takes me more effort to get around now... I'm not getting any younger you know, my little Fuu. »

« I know, Grandpa, » she said, wanting to dismiss his serious tone by her calm voice.

« I haven't told you yet, but my vision is not what it used to be. Here, whenever it gets a bit dark, I can't see a thing. »

Fujie set his cup in front of him and warmed her hands on her own. She hated serious conversations like these, especially with her grandfather. She very much disliked speaking of old age, growing old, time passing by. The fact that he would bring up the subject frightened her that he might leave her soon.

« I can stay over for a few days, you know, to help you with this big house... »

« Certainly not ! » he exclaimed with surprising energy. « I'm not a crippled blind geezer yet, and you need to live your life with young people your age. I'm hoping for a decent young man. I told you that already. »

Fujie nibbled on her lip, remembering that same conversation from years back, when she used to live with him. She felt the identical discomfort as when he was pushing her out of the nest.

« I'm older now, I can take a break from _young people_ and give a hand to my Granpa. » she said, trying to sound firm.

« Really, Fuu... Have you really achieved what you seeked ? Did you really help those people at the hospital ? When was the last date you went on ? Am I going to die leaving you without the care of a worthy man ? Fuu, it's like... taking a walk in the snow. It's great to see how far you've come judging by the prints you leave behind, but you cannot enjoy the stroll if you're walking backwards. Your heart is in the right place, but you need to keep your eyes set on the future, and not only look at the past.»

Fujie turned her head away from him, towards the window. She got up and drew the drapes, letting in the diffused winter light. The weather looked just as bad as the previous days, gray clouds completely covering the sky, and far away, Fujie could see menacing black ones. The wind whistled against the house's windows.

She hugged her arms around her, realizing some dull pain in her ribs and that she was still wearing her clothes from yesterday. Turning her thoughts back to the hospital, she thought of her grandfather's words. She did not work there anymore, but could she be certain that she had been helpful to the patients ? Had she made a difference in their lives ?

The pessimistic side of her believed she had not, and that the person now replacing her might do a better job, but she tried to maintain a positive outlook with the recent changes in her life. Still, she wondered whether it would change anything if she took her old job back once the current one would be over.

« You know, Fuu, I don't question your carrier choice, but I wish to know if you're sure nothing is more satisfying for you. Helping others doesn't always improve your own life, and some of these people don't even want to be helped. You cannot help them all, either. I think you should pay more attention to yourself, little red one. Find a more fulfilling job for yourself, perhaps, » he added as she sat down again.

« I will think about it, Granpa, I promise, » she said, combing a strand of hair with her fingers. « But I'm living alone now, I'm making friends, I changed jobs ... »

« What about a gentleman friend ? » her grandfather asked bluntly. « Oh, I remember when I fancied your Grandma, I would find any excuses to go talk to her. I wasn't a smooth talker at the time, like now, » he joked. « But, nonetheless, she said yes when I invited her one evening to watch the fireflies. Ah, it was such a romantic setting, nothing could ruin it. Not even all the damn mosquito bites we earned after that night out ! » he laughed, exposing the ivory teeth he had left.

Fujie chuckled along, but her heart was not in it. Though usually she would revel the small anecdotes her grandfather would tell, her mind was too preoccupied with the outcomes she would have to face. As he continued talking, Fujie had other preoccupations on her mind. Her thoughts traveled back to what he had said about a gentleman friend, and surprising herself, she thought of Kairi.

Suddenly remembered the night. Well, the short of it, anyway.

« Grandpa, » she interrupted him, « did Chieki bring me back here last night ? »

Her grandfather shrugged his shoulders while wrapping his red hand-knitted sweater more tightly around him.

« Maybe, maybe, I couldn't see them very well. »

« Them ? »

« Yes, yes, two people came knocking on my door around midnight. I thought you were knocked out because of alcohol. Like the time when, I must've been twenty-one or maybe twenty-two, two of my friends and I went out and did a contest. The goal was to drink as many kinds of liquor as possible. Boy, we were so drunk, we slept through the whole day, on the bar's table ! The waiter, older than us by a few years, he woke us up when it was opening time, at night, » he erupted in laughter again at the memory. « But the smaller one told me you got in the middle of a fight and got knocked over. Between you and I, you can tell me if really you were drunk. Were you ? »

Fujie assumed that he meant Kairi when speaking of the smaller one. Chieki was, after all, taller than most of the men in the village, and she said it made it harder for her to date, as she usually disliked men shorter than her.

« No, Grandpa, I wasn't drunk. I just got punched while trying to exit the bar, because of the fight. »

Her grandfather gave a grunt of disapproval.

« Men in my time would never ever hit a woman. Shinobis, I bet they were the ones fighting ? Yes, well... And why didn't you dodge ? Aren't you working with the lot of them ? And they didn't teach you how to fight or at least defend yourself ? In my opinion, they should. When I was young, when a man knew he would not be around to protect his woman, he would teach her all kinds of techniques so she could defend herself. It's a shame now that you have to become a kunoichi just to know how to physically stand up for yourself... Fuu, if I were just a bit younger, I would teach you a thing or two about combat, but I'm afraid I'm not in shape anymore... »

Facing him, Fujie periodically nodded to what he was saying. She did not want to upset him by saying that she was not at all interested in fighting.

Yesterday was an exception, she thought, and she would not encounter another situation where fighting skills would be needed. From now on, she would avoid shinobi bars, and if ever she would find herself in a fight, on-duty shinobis would have to intervene. It was part of their jobs after all, was it not ?

« That reminds me, Grandpa, I have to send letters this afternoon. Can I take some writing paper from your desk ? » Fujie asked, already standing up and placing her empty cup in the porcelain sink.

« Of course, of course, my little Fuu. I'll fix vegetable soup for lunch while you do that, » he replied.

She walked to the next room, a dusty, dim-lit library that her grandfather often used as a desk. By the looks of the bookshelves, it had not been cleaned in weeks, so Fujie decided that, whether or not her grandfather agreed, she would scrub the entire house before going back to her apartment.

After a failed attempt at lighting the desk lamp, he sat down at the desk, pulling a blank piece of paper from a pile and started writing.

« Fuu, do you like leeks ? Should I add some ? » her grandfather yelled from the other room. he had already taken the decision to add them to the pot of boiling water before she had time to answer, as usual.

She rolled the letters separately and tied a ribbon around each one, putting down the pen and exiting the library. She went through the kitchen to tell her grandfather she was running an errand, and left wrapped in a coat she had forgotten at the house.

The delivery station in the village was actually a post office with a built-in aviary. There were at least a couple hundred birds available for civilians to use to deliver letters, but larger and heavier packages had to go through the regular post office delivery service. Fujie went there at about two in the afternoon, and she did not have to wait in line. She left the boy in charge the care of choosing the birds for the deliveries, and hurried back to her grandfather's house.

Even though she and her grandfather were both quiet during their lunch, she enjoyed his company, dismissing that worry earlier clouded her mind. She figured silence was his way of letting her process all his questions. However, during the whole afternoon and until late in the evening, she kept herself busy by taking care of the dusting, sweeping and cleaning of the rooms, so that she did not have to think about what he had said.

Fujie was almost too tired to cook the dinner, but she nonetheless fixed chicken with potatoes and salad. Her grandfather complimented and thanked her for it, and even took seconds. However by the time the clock struck ten o'clock, he suggested that she went back to her own home.

After trying excuses to make him change his mind, she finally bid him good night and started her back to her apartment. The wind had settled down and it was not snowing, but Fujie was still chilled to the bone. She hurried as quickly as possible through the park and to her building, pulling out from her purse the loaded key chain she carried around everywhere. She ran into Sado in front of the mailboxes, and, as they were chatting while climbing up the stairs, agreed to have a cup of tea at his place by the end of the week

She felt a pinch of anticipation as she imagined running into Ibiki, but she did not see him at all that night. She wondered what Kotetsu had said to anger him so, and was wondering if there would be a non-suspicious way to find out, but by the time she climbed into bed, clean and wearing pyjamas, she accepted not knowing, only because it was impossible to gain that information without attracting unwanted attention.


	12. Chapter 12

**FunkyKiwi's Note : **I'm more than happy when I'm notified that someone posted a review of Our Footsteps in the Snow, I feel like an excited kid about to open a present. So please, make my day, leave a comment !

* * *

Chapter 12 : Farewell

"Morino, come to the second floor with us."

Fujie's colleagues stared at the two officers from Internal Affairs as they escorted Ibiki out. Fujie, on the other hand, could not detach her eyes from Ibiki's, staring back at her, indecipherable. Her heart thumped oppressively against her ribcage, inducing an obvious look of discomfort.

Everyone else eyed each other, most of them pondering over the reason for Ibiki's summon, the rest wondering who would dare question him.

It had been the first time Fujie heard someone give an order to Ibiki, without any polite suffix or by calling him by his first name. She had been told that the only ones with the authority over him were Internal Affairs, or IA, the Military Council, and the Hokage, but so far, she had not seen him interact with any of them.

To everyone's surprise, another man came in right after they had left and gestured to Kotetsu to come with him.

Riding the elevator down, Ibiki felt annoyed at the thought of the endless gossip this event would lead to. He knew none of his subordinates would ask questions, but that would not keep them from exchanging wild theories on the subject. When the elevator stopped at the second floor, there were only two sets of doors before Ibiki and his escort. He knew the one on the left was the interrogation room.

"Wait in here."

Ibiki shot the younger man from IA a piercing look, and this one quickly added the word please to his request. Only then did Ibiki enter the room and patiently waited. He would behave only if they treated him right.

Ibiki was not intimidated as he examined the white tile walls and floor of the room, but he doubted that it was the IA's tactic to do so. They should know it was useless to try anything of the sort after what he had lived through.

After the enemy had released him wounded and disoriented in the Northern Forest of the Fire Country, Ibiki never truly healed from his detention, and could not place his trust in anyone. He became cold, and his heart had darkened by his nurse's rejection. He no longer needed to talk unless it was absolutely necessary, and his gut felt constantly crushed by a sense of fear and impeded betrayal.

He had regained some capacities of social interactions when Anko befriended him, but he had not yet allowed himself to recover completely. His scars were an immutable reminder of the past, and he did not feel inclined to change his behavior as long as they would be embedded in his skin.

As if he were putting on a stone armor, Ibiki's traits hardened as he slowly buried any emotions he might experience, in order to be impervious during questioning.

"Is this an early Christmas present ?" Ibiki asked his interrogator when this one entered the room.

The man scoffed at him, almost appreciating his sarcastic humor. "You know it is about last night's incident, so tell me what happened."

Ibiki answered unblinkingly. "Don't make me believe you've never given in drunken provocation. Lost your temper, and before you know it you're in the middle of a bar fight. I doubt I was the only one who had a bone to pick with someone, given how quickly everyone started throwing punches," he paused, looking for a reaction from the other man. "I saw a couple of ruthless fellows at that bar. Did anyone get badly hurt ?"

"One man did. We need to know your whereabouts after the incident."

His gaze drifting to the right, Ibiki recollected his memories from the night. "The fight was broken up around midnight. If it's a shinobi we're talking about, he should be revised, as I don't think a ninja who cannot properly identify his opponent is fit to keep his post. After leaving my statement, I brought an injured girl to her home, which must've been around twelve ten, and I got to my apartment before one o'clock. You can ask my neighbors, this morning they complained about my slamming the front door."

The interrogator's attitude slightly shifted, and Ibiki knew they were not only investigating the wounding of the man.

"If this is about the conflict between me and my subordinate last night, I can assure you that I hold no grudges against my people. When such an event occurs, I make sure to deal with the situation before another work day begins. Kotetsu, who I'm guessing is waiting for his turn behind that door, will confirm."

The man in front of him flushed in the cheeks, ashamed he had been transparent. "We can't have our agents fighting against each other," he justified himself.

"Be assured, Kotetsu won't lie to you for fear of my reprisal. He isn't afraid of me, and that makes him one of my best workers."

The IA agent mumbled something about him being able to return to work, and Ibiki briskly walked out of the plain room. Leaving it felt like a breath of fresh air to Ibiki, but he still had the urge to exit the building and smoke to wash away the disagreeable sensation and memories the interrogation brought back.

Leaning against the wall next to the entrance glass doors, Ibiki took as much time as needed to regain his composure.

His ungloved hand holding the cigarette was turning blue with the cold, but even though he was staring at it, he did nothing to warm it up. It reminded him that he was supposed to gather the courage to spend the day without his gloves, but in the end he never got around to do it.

As he stared ahead of him, absentmindedly tasting his bottom lip's scar, he thought about his new helper, trying to pinpoint what felt odd about her. Was he that frightening to look at ? She would always look at him wide-eyed, apprehension clearly reflected in her blue eyes.

The back of his neck prickled at the thought. He inhaled deeply to shake off the feeling along with the memory of her touching his back, and flicked his cigarette bud away to enter the building.

Back in the top floor office, Ibiki kept intensely watching Fujie as she copied away his files. His insides were twisting; he definitely sensed that something was off. His fixed gaze obvious, she would occasionally look at him from the corner of her eye, not knowing what to make out of it.

Meanwhile, Kotetsu, as he came back in the office, eyed Ibiki. From his desk, he was also trying to interpret the look Ibiki was giving Fujie. He wondered if his boss had a soft spot for the redhead.

Kotetsu rose to get a cup of coffee. There was, in his opinion, only one way to find out.

"Fuu-chan, would you go out with me later tonight ?"

Fujie jumped at his sudden apparition in front of her desk. Incomprehension written on her face, she did not know if he was joking or seriously asking her on a date.

On her right, Izumo was also staring at her. Kotetsu asking her out when he previously showed no interest in her meant one thing only : he was thinking of annoying Ibiki by doing so. It was not the first time his friend attempted an act of the sort.

However, as much as he liked his friend Kotetsu, Izumo held such an admiration for Ibiki that he preferred him to have the upper hand.

"I suggest going to the frozen lake, I hear it's beautiful to skate there," Izumo slyly said, knowing that the ice would be too thin and that a frozen bath would ensure a ruined date. Fujie looked even more confused, suspecting some kind of hazing.

"I... am sorry Kotetsu-san, I'm not looking for a relationship right now," Fujie softly answered with an uneasy smile. Her eyes darted in Ibiki's direction, but he had already buried his nose in paperwork.

Expectedly, as soon as the clock struck twelve, Fujie sped out of the office to avoid further attention. She was not about to have lunch with her co-workers, and, additionally, there was something she wished to verify in person at the hospital.

As the questioning had left Ibiki without any appetite, he decided to follow Fujie, 'as to not waste any free time', he thought. He was looking for answers to his instinct, and he was not giving up until he had them.

He surveyed Fujie from afar, locating her destination. He entered the hospital grounds a few seconds after her, as discreet as a shinobi of his rank is expected to be. The woman was so oblivious to her surroundings, Ibiki did not even make an effort to disguise his clothes as doctor's white coat. He simply stood behind her, hidden by a large square pillar.

"I need to speak to Sea-san, it's regarding his new responsibilities."

The nurse Fujie was addressing to sneered at her. "Oda-san, surely you know you've been relieved of your duties here. Sea-sensei does not need your advice regarding _his _patients."

Fujie's mouth fell agape at the news. Baffled, she struggled with her words. "Relieved ? But... I was told I had a week off before regaining my schedule, with my patients. How did this happen ?"

Her throat was starting to close up, and she croaked out her last words. "I was to keep the responsibility over my patients," she managed to say, her blue eyes getting bleary.

"You'll have to ask the Hokage, but she said you were busy doing a particular psychological evaluation," the nurse replied, insensitive to Fujie's sadness and despair.

At the sound of those last words, Ibiki's heart seemed to turn to ice, leaving him several seconds immobile and letting Fujie the chance to run out without him on her tail.

As Ibiki slowly processed the news a second time, blazing fury took over. It felt as if an iron fist had yanked out his insides and he had nothing left in him but rage. He disappeared in a puff of smoke only to reappear by Fujie's side as she ran towards the door of the Hokage's building.

Ibiki seized her by the throat before she even noticed his presence, and in one swift movement lifted her up to crush her body against the building's wall.

His ragged breathing was hot against Fujie's face as she struggled with her own, desperately trying to pry off the hand closing on her neck.

"You were sent to _study_ me ? To certify I was fit for my job and not mentally unstable ?" he hissed in her ear, compressing her windpipe.

Fujie's body tensed, her hands reluctantly scratching Ibiki's in a vain attempt to get it off her. Her face got blue from the lack of oxygen and Ibiki slightly released the pressure, looking at her dead in the eye.

"I suggestyou leave the village, because if I ever see you again, I'll satisfy your curiosity and demonstrate on you what they did to me," he said, pushing his muscular body against hers to emphasize his threat with physical pressure.

Fujie was gasping for air, tears flowing freely as she stared back at him.

She wanted to tell him that she had only meant to help him, she wanted to say that she was only following orders when she did not notify him of the real reason for her presence in the office, but the pain in her airway was so intense that she could not utter a word. She could only look at him, into his dark eyes full of hatred, helpless against his strength.

Finally, after minutes of staring at each other, Fujie jerkily nodded to his suggestion. Ibiki released her from his grip, and she fell and crumpled to the ground like a rag doll, wheezing and coughing.

He remained on the spot, looking at Fujie with contempt, not moving a muscle. She managed to pull herself onto her feet, leaning on the wall behind her for support.

Fujie stared at him one last time. "I'm sorry," she whispered in a coarse voice before running off.

Large snowflakes started to fall, rapidly covering the streets and houses of Konoha in a thick white blanket. The wind picked up, and moments later a snowstorm completely engulfed the village.

Fujie ran as fast as she could in her apartment's direction, only to feel her knees buckle in the park just before she got to it. Her heart tightened by fear, she still struggled to catch her breath. Her cheeks and nose were freezing because of her running and crying. Snowflakes got caught in her eyelashes and hair, and she would soon be covered in snow if she did not reach her building in time.

She looked behind her, half expecting Ibiki's colossal frame coming towards her, but she could only see her footprints getting filled by the falling snow. She felt so miserable she wanted to turn into an ice statue on the spot, never to move or feel again.

Her sobs finally silenced down, and Fujie was able to pull herself back up and stagger to her building. She got to her apartment, to her bedroom, and hurriedly packed necessary belongings and clothes for travel. She left without locking the door.

Fujie made a detour to her grandfather's house to quickly bid him goodbye and to promise to write as soon as she got to the Fire Country's main eastern village, close to Uzushio. She kissed her grandfather on both cheeks, still crying, and disappeared into the forest.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13 : Repercussions

Ibiki looked in the opposite direction when Fujie ran past him. His rage made his blood boil in his veins, his temples throb painfully, and he held his teeth tightly gritted. He remained still as snow started to fall, minutes passing, standing there as if waiting for the cold bite to calm down his nerves.

His dark eyes were staring at the wall before him without truly looking at it. He still could not believe the revelations about Fujie's identity and purpose, so he was fighting the urge to tear the building apart with his bare hands. Instead, he launched one punch that created a large crater around his fist. The vibrations spread into the whole wall, as if to announce his coming to the Hokage in the upper levels.

When Ibiki barged in Tsunade's office, she was busy talking with Shizune. Tsunade quickly sent her off, Ibiki's aura of rage quite obvious. He marched straight to her desk and leaned on it to level his eyes with hers.

"You need a spy to ascertain whether or not I am suitable for my functions ? Why the change in attitude, don't you trust the 3rd Hokage's decision ?"

Tsunade send her hand slamming on her desk, it creaked weakly under her strength. "It was a different situation back then ! I cannot risk my sidelines corrupted or plagued by their past when war breaks out. You thought you would earn some kind of special treatment ?"

"So you judge me unstable ?"

"I was not wrong sending Doctor Oda to see you, look at your reaction right now ! What would have happened if it had been another matter that put you off, and this time you were unable to complete the tasks at hand ?"

"Well, at least now with one less minion running around, bothering me, I have... let say a wider range of movement. Next time, don't send shrinks to me, especially those with blood red hair. Unless you want them to end up like this one," Ibiki turned his back to Tsunade and went for the door.

His words made the Hokage freeze on the spot; she feared the worst.

"Where is she ? What did you do to her ?"

A bitter smile appeared on Ibiki's face, though it was not visible to Tsunade. He did not answer her.

"What has become of my evaluator," her tone switching from stern to threatening. If he had hurt her, the punishment would be great.

He kept his back to her. "I simply asked her to leave the village, otherwise there would be more than red marks on her neck." His smile had disappeared as he shielded an aching heart under a layer of ice.

Ibiki did not know why he was experiencing pain. He had not known well that woman, and realized now that anything he thought he knew about her might have been wrong.

He finally ended up attributing the pain to betrayal, a sentiment that he carefully tried dodging on a daily basis. When you do not fully trust people and do not grow attached to them, it is easier to avoid betrayal.

"Clearly you're not fit for additional work right now," Tsunade's voice settled down, assuring her authority. "When Doctor Oda is back in Konoha, you will be attending regular sessions with her until she evaluates you apt for work in stressful conditions."

The sound of the word 'doctor' preceding Fujie's last name felt like thorns pushing against his vertebrae every time it was used.

Ibiki emitted a growl of disapproval, but did not dare to retort back anything. Even if Tsunade had been named Hokage during difficult times, there had been good reasons for her to be chosen, and the Konoha shinobi, whoever they may be and however angry they were, still respected her as their leader.

Sado and Haruki barged in the office, successfully slamming one of the doors against Ibiki's cheekbone before he could react. This maddening episode had definitely put him off his usual self and he got also angry at himself for getting as affected as he was now.

"Tsunade-sama, we're here to report Doctor Oda Fujie missing. She left the village-"

Haruki stopped abruptly, startled by Ibiki's presence and realizing that his words had divulged Fujie's identity. His lover and colleague anxiously looked over to him, too, before waiting for Tsunade's usual tsunami of anger and annoyance to take over. She did have quite a temper when things did not go according to her plans.

"I know that already ! You think I ordered you to live next door to her to build a love nest ? What were you two doing today that prevented you from protecting her ? You're lucky this one didn't completely go berserk and pull her head off !"

Tsunade tried to maintain her temper down, but her voice only increased in level. "When this is over, you'll be re-assigned to guarding the Great Gates of Konoha, and don't expected to be transferred out of it soon !"

"And you," she directed to Ibiki, "you are not to leave the village, you are not to leave your apartment until further notice. For the time being, all commanding tasks will be forwarded to Kotetsu -after that nice speech of yours for the IA, I'm sure he is fit for the job-. And you two find that doctor before she even thinks of leaving the country."

Tsunade clearly knew just how frightening the Head of Torture and Interrogation could become. "We don't know where she is heading at the moment. Ask her friends and relatives, constitute a search party and head out. Now."

She rearranged papers on her desk and picked up her ink brush, signing a couple of documents to signal the end of the discussion.

However, Haruki timidly stepped forward and pointed out that the current snowstorm, that was actually crashing snow against the office's windows, would render vain all their efforts for searching at the moment. Sado, a bit more assured, said that it would be wiser to wait for the weather to settle and then organize the search party with a few members of the Inuzuka clan.

Ibiki stood motionless next to them, staring at the snowflakes whirling behind the glass windows and listening to the wailing of the wind. He recalled Fujie's tear-stained cheeks as he threatened her, but he did not feel a pang of remorse.

Tsunade flopped against the back of her armchair, feeling suddenly very tired. She exhaled slowly, taking her time to evaluate the best decision to make.

"Sado, go to the Observation Tower and find out the weather forecast. Haruki, you go ask Oda's friends and family where she is heading. Meet afterwards at the Inuzuka compound to elaborate a plan to look for her, and set about the search when the snowstorm has passed our region. You _all_ are dismissed."

Ibiki left the office last, closing the doors behind him after glaring at Tsunade. He would obey the orders, but that did not mean he could not show discontent to his leader.

The storm made it difficult for him to reach his building, and he was glad to be safely inside when he did get to it. The cold had left him in a secondary state, not really paying attention to his actions, though that is until he reached the floor just below his own. A chill traveled up his spine, and before he knew it, he was standing in front of Fujie's door with his hand around the knob.

Sado and Haruki would not be back for hours at the least, and the mixture of anger and curiosity surfacing convinced him to open the door.

It had been left unlocked, obviously because of Fujie's hasty departure. Clothes had been thrown on the living room table and couch, mostly summer garments from what Ibiki spotted. One of the cabinets doors was opened in the kitchen, with only the teapot and cups left, along with some medicinal tea.

Ibiki scoffed at the sight of it, but he after regaining a certain level of calm, he was able to prepare himself a steaming cup, though he did not have enough cool to enjoy the medicinal tea : as soon as he tasted it, memories of the night Fujie tended to his wounds came back.

He felt again her fingertips against his bare back, her light touch contrasting with the pain of glass shards being removed from his flesh. The teacup shattered in his gloved hand, but he did not even bother to clean it up.

He threw off his gloves to closely examine his hands.

The scars had worn off, the ointment had finally worked. His nails almost appeared of a normal color now, which reassured him just a bit. Having them slowly torn off had been one of the most painful torture he suffered, and his sense of touch had been altered by such damaged hands. On some days he could not even feel what he was holding, and he had feared it would become permanent. Fortunately though, the nerve damage had not been that great for it to stay that way.

Ibiki went to the bathroom to check his bruised cheekbone in the mirror. He was sporting a bright purple swelling that pushed up his bottom eyelid and bothered him when blinking. He scoffed at his reflection when he thought that it could be the repercussion for hurting his former subordinate.

Back in the bedroom, detached from his surroundings, he carelessly looked over at the mess that was spread on Fujie's bed. The office and workers' files were discarded amongst other notebooks, but he did not want to look through them at that moment.

His anger had finally been tuned out, turning to emptiness, and he let himself fall backwards on the bed, crumpling papers and clothes under his heavy body.

The sweet scent of Fujie's perfume reached him when his head came to rest on her pillow, and he breathed it in, finding it oddly soothing. The memory of her touching his wrist rushed in his mind, and remembered clearly her surprised expression in detail, with her flowing mane framing her face, her pink lips slightly parted, and her wide blue eyes staring back at him.

Ibiki reached her phonograph on the side of the bed, winding it up and letting the tune of a traditional flute fill the room. He closed his eyes. The images of Fujie crying resurfaced only to quickly fade away, and he slipped into a deep slumber.

The phonograph stopping abruptly woke Ibiki up. Lying on his stomach with his face buried into the pillow, he did not move a muscle, relishing the peace he felt. He opened his swollen eye to check on the clock on the bedside table.

Six o'clock.

Night had already fallen, and apart from the dim light of a street lamp shining through the living room window, Fujie's apartment was plunged in darkness. The wind was still beating snowflakes against the glass, so Ibiki guessed correctly that the search team had not left the village. That and the fact that he doubted Tsunade would send someone to guard his door made him want to stay where he was.

He shifted his position to lie on his back, and waited for his eyes to adjust to the darkness surrounding him. Once he could see, he looked over to the left, where he had been crouching while rummaging through Fujie's possessions and had to perform genjutsu in emergency before she could realize that he had gotten into her apartment. Now that he thought of it, her frightened look from that night had been the same as the one when he held her by the throat.

He kicked a book off the bed to ventilate the anger building up inside him, crashing his head into the bed pillow again. He lit a cigarette but did not inhale the smoke. He just let it consume itself and then threw it in a coffee cup set by the mattress. He opened the window for a few minutes in order to air out the bedroom; he had decided with some difficulty that he preferred the smell of Fujie's perfume to that of cold cigarette.

And he asked himself, apart from the moments where he truly intended to scare her, how he appeared to her. Did she shudder at the very thought of him ? Did she have true nightmares about him ?

She had turned so pale after seeing the drill marks in his skull, he wondered if she threw up when she got to her place. She was probably disgusted by the sight of him, as any woman would, he thought bitterly.

All he understood about her was that she did not understand his self-destructive actions at all. Or had that been an act, too ?

Ibiki was too confused at the moment. He had been so distracted by her presence that, recalling what had happened between them, he could not part the lies from her genuine reactions.

Although she spoke kind words to him, and helped him after one of his destructive behaviors, he could not decide whether it had been genuine kindness or an act to gain his trust. He still could not believe how careless he had been, he was angry at himself for getting tricked so easily more than he was angry at her. Had he gone weak ? Had his capacity to detect deception faded away ?

Ibiki rubbed his face with his hands, vainly trying to push those thoughts away. If she did not die in the snowstorm, he might even have a chance to find out some of the answers to these questions. He shook his head at the thought. He definitely did not want to see her again, let alone talk to her.


End file.
